Depression and anxiety in palliative care inpatients compared with those receiving palliative careat home

Objective: This study compared the prevalence of anxiety and depression as measured on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in palliative care patients being treated at home with those being treated as inpatients.Method: The participants were palliative care patients being treated at hom...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Austin, P., Wiley, S., McEvoy, Peter, Archer, L.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Cambridge University Press 2011
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/21819
_version_ 1848750696895086592
author Austin, P.
Wiley, S.
McEvoy, Peter
Archer, L.
author_facet Austin, P.
Wiley, S.
McEvoy, Peter
Archer, L.
author_sort Austin, P.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Objective: This study compared the prevalence of anxiety and depression as measured on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in palliative care patients being treated at home with those being treated as inpatients.Method: The participants were palliative care patients being treated at home (n ¼ 46) and palliative care inpatients (n ¼ 46). Subjects were assessed for functionality on the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS) and anxiety and depression were measured on the HADS.Results: The results showed that 20% of all patients were depressed and anxious as measured on the HADS, regardless of the cutoff criteria. There was no significant difference in depression and anxiety between the two groups when socioeconomic status and functionality were controlled for. Functionality, as measured on the KPS, was uniquely a predictor of depression, and younger patients were shown to have greater anxiety. Significance of results: The results suggest that home-based palliative care patients and palliative care inpatients should receive equal psychological support, and that clinicians need to be aware of the psychological vulnerability of younger and less-functional patients. The prevalence of depression and anxiety indicates that all palliative care patients should be screened for psychological distress, to identify those who need further assessment and treatment.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T07:40:57Z
format Journal Article
id curtin-20.500.11937-21819
institution Curtin University Malaysia
institution_category Local University
last_indexed 2025-11-14T07:40:57Z
publishDate 2011
publisher Cambridge University Press
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling curtin-20.500.11937-218192017-02-28T01:36:31Z Depression and anxiety in palliative care inpatients compared with those receiving palliative careat home Austin, P. Wiley, S. McEvoy, Peter Archer, L. Depression Anxiety Palliative care Inpatients Home-based care Objective: This study compared the prevalence of anxiety and depression as measured on the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) in palliative care patients being treated at home with those being treated as inpatients.Method: The participants were palliative care patients being treated at home (n ¼ 46) and palliative care inpatients (n ¼ 46). Subjects were assessed for functionality on the Karnofsky Performance Status Scale (KPS) and anxiety and depression were measured on the HADS.Results: The results showed that 20% of all patients were depressed and anxious as measured on the HADS, regardless of the cutoff criteria. There was no significant difference in depression and anxiety between the two groups when socioeconomic status and functionality were controlled for. Functionality, as measured on the KPS, was uniquely a predictor of depression, and younger patients were shown to have greater anxiety. Significance of results: The results suggest that home-based palliative care patients and palliative care inpatients should receive equal psychological support, and that clinicians need to be aware of the psychological vulnerability of younger and less-functional patients. The prevalence of depression and anxiety indicates that all palliative care patients should be screened for psychological distress, to identify those who need further assessment and treatment. 2011 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/21819 Cambridge University Press restricted
spellingShingle Depression
Anxiety
Palliative care
Inpatients
Home-based care
Austin, P.
Wiley, S.
McEvoy, Peter
Archer, L.
Depression and anxiety in palliative care inpatients compared with those receiving palliative careat home
title Depression and anxiety in palliative care inpatients compared with those receiving palliative careat home
title_full Depression and anxiety in palliative care inpatients compared with those receiving palliative careat home
title_fullStr Depression and anxiety in palliative care inpatients compared with those receiving palliative careat home
title_full_unstemmed Depression and anxiety in palliative care inpatients compared with those receiving palliative careat home
title_short Depression and anxiety in palliative care inpatients compared with those receiving palliative careat home
title_sort depression and anxiety in palliative care inpatients compared with those receiving palliative careat home
topic Depression
Anxiety
Palliative care
Inpatients
Home-based care
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/21819