Signs of depression in cancer patients

Most people are shocked when they are diagnosed with cancer. They may fall into a state of anxiety, fear, or even depression. Depression makes it difficult for patients to treat the disease. Therefore, early detection and treatment of depression are important for cancer patients.

For patients, especially young people, when they find out they have cancer, they will be psychologically shocked. In addition, they are also very miserable because of the worry of family and financial burdens, making their psychology more pessimistic. Mental breakdown can affect the effectiveness of treatment. According to statistics of the World Health Organization, each year in Vietnam, about 95,000 patients die from cancer, of which 30% die from exhaustion instead of cancer.
When facing cancer, patients will experience psychological crises such as:
Fear of treatment or side effects of treatment Fear of cancer recurrence or metastasis after treatment Anxiety about uncertainty Anxiety about loss of self-control Worry about changing relationships Fear of death. Anxiety and fear can make coping with cancer treatment more difficult. It can also interfere with decision-making regarding your care and treatment. Therefore, recognizing and treating anxiety is an important part of cancer treatment.

Cancer patients may experience depression, which is a treatable emotional disorder.
Depression can prevent people from following cancer treatment. It can also make it difficult for patients to make decisions regarding treatment and care. Therefore, the detection and treatment of depression is an important part of cancer treatment.
Symptoms of depression can appear shortly after a cancer diagnosis or anytime during or after treatment.
Tell your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms, especially if they occurred in the last 2 weeks or so.
2.1 Mood-related symptoms
Feeling down Feeling sad Feeling hopeless Feeling irritable (excited) Feeling apathy Feeling worthless Behavioral symptoms Loss of interest cares about activities you enjoyed in the past Crying often Wants to avoid friends or family Loss of motivation to do everyday activities. 2.2 Cognitive symptoms
Reduced concentration Difficulty making decisions Memory problems Negative thinking. In extreme situations, this can include thoughts that life isn't worth living or thoughts of hurting yourself. 2.3 Physical symptoms
Fatigue Loss of appetite Insomnia, inability to sleep or deep sleep Too much sleep (oversleeping) Sexual problems, such as decreased sex drive. The cognitive and physical symptoms listed above may be side effects of cancer or cancer treatment. When diagnosing depression in cancer patients, doctors often have to pay more attention to emotional and behavioral symptoms.

Cancer patients with depression need to be treated by psycho-psychiatry. For people with moderate or severe depression, a combination of psychological treatment and medication is often the most effective. For some people with mild depression, talking to a mental health professional may be enough to alleviate symptoms.