Mental Health Burden of German Cancer Patients before and after the Outbreak of COVID-19: Predictors of Mental Health Impairment.

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to analyze individual changes in cancer patients' mental health before and after the COVID-19 outbreak, and to explore predictors of mental health impairment. Over a two-week period (16-30 March 2020), 150 cancer patients in Germany participated in this study. Validated instruments assessed demographic and medical data, depression and anxiety symptoms (PHQ-2, GAD-2), distress (DT), and health status (EQ-5D-3L). All instruments were adapted to measure the individual mental health before the COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19-related fear, trust in governmental actions to face COVID-19, and the subjective level of information regarding COVID-19 were measured. Cancer patients showed a significant increase in depression and anxiety symptoms and distress, while health status

SUBMITTER: Bauerle A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7967708 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature