Malestar emocional, ansiedad y depresión en pacientes oncológicos colombianos y su relación con la competencia percibida

Objective: To determine the levels of distress, anxiety and depression and their relation with perceived competence (PC) in cancer patients. Methods: Sociodemo graphic and clinical data of 42 patients attending the psychology service of an oncology institution were collected. Also, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Perceived Competence Scale (PCS) were used. Descriptive, comparative and correlational statistics were obtained. Results: Mean age 49±10.6 years (rank 22-69), 83% female, the most frequent diagnosis was breast cancer (26.2%), 61.9% were in stage IV and more than half in palliative treatment. Scores of distress, anxiety and depression were medium-low and were moderate for PC. An inverse and significant relation between distress and PC was found (p <.01). Correlations between anxiety, depression and PC were non-significant. Conclusions: General control beliefs such as PC are closely related to the emotional state of patients. Research on PC is of importance given that general control beliefs may benefit adjustment along the illness trajectory.