Relationship between Depressions Level and Socio-Demographic Characteristics among Adolescent Undergoing Chemotherapy Treatment at Pediatric Teaching Hospitals in Baghdad City

Abstract

Background: A patient has being diagnosed with cancer and undergoing treatment. A cancer diagnosis will have a significant impact on one's life. It can be difficult to balance cancer treatment and side effects with the demands of daily life. Stress associated with cancer and it is care, according to study, can display in a many of ways, including depressive symptoms.

Aims of the study: To evaluate depression level among adolescents undergoing chemotherapy treatment at Pediatric teaching hospitals in Baghdad City and find out the relationship between depression level among adolescents undergoing chemotherapy treatment and their demographic characteristics, such as age, gender, level of education, and duration of chemotherapy.

Methodology: A descriptive correlational study, using an assessment evaluation approach was conducted in the period 15 / December / 2020 to 15/ July / 2021, to assess evaluate the level of depression for adolescents undergoing chemotherapy at pediatric hospitals in Baghdad City. A self-report questionnaire is modified developed for the purpose of the study. A purposive "non- probability" sample, of (45) adolescents, is selected for the present study.

Results: Results of the study indicates that adolescents, who are middle age and males, develop depressive symptoms more than others after being treated with chemotherapy. Adolescents’ depression has highly significant relationship with their socio-demographic characteristics of relapse, complications, mothers’ occupation, gender, education, and monthly income, duration of treatment, age, fathers’ occupation, fathers’ education, mothers’ education and age at diagnosis.

Conclusion: Adolescents’ depression is affected by their socio-demographic characteristics of relapse, complications, mothers’ occupation, gender, education, and monthly income, duration of treatment, age, fathers’ occupation, fathers’ education, mothers’ education and age at diagnosis.

Recommendations: Well-designed and constructed education program can be presented to these adolescents and their parents for the purposes of increasing their awareness toward the disease and making them able to prevent complications and declines associated depression. Regular and periodic investigations should be carried out to monitor the adolescents’ health status.