| Abstract: |
Introduction Depression and anxiety are two of the most prevalent psychological disorders in older cancer patients. Given the severity of a cancer diagnosis, it is understandable for patients to experience symptoms of general distress, worry, and anxiety. However, distress is often experienced on a continuum from minor situational anxiety and transient depressive symptoms to more severe disorders that require intervention and treatment. Throughout the cancer experience, patients may have brief periods of denial or despair followed by distress, with a mixture of depressed mood and anxiety, insomnia, and irritability. These symptoms may last for days to several weeks, after which usual patterns of adaptation return. This response is highly variable, however, it is important to remember that consistent symptoms of severe depression or anxiety are not part of a normal adjustment process for older patients with cancer. © 2010 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC. |
