Background. Malignant diseases and cystic fibrosis are responsible for longlasting states of frustration and suffering, which particularly affect adolescents. Considering potentially dangerous effects of anxiety and depressive episodes, prompt and reliable diagnosis and therapy become especially important for both quality of life and its preservation. Problems with the evaluation of incidence of anxiety and widely understood depression, and contradictory results found in literature, encouraged researchers to attempt the assessment of incidence of chosen negative emotions in adolescents.
Material and methods. The study group comprised of adolescents and young adults, aged from 14 to 21, hospitalised because of malignant diseases (n = 78; group I) and cystic fibrosis (n = 53; group II). The incidence of anxiety and depression was evaluated with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
Results. Anxiety was observed in 25% of CF patients and 14% of cancer patients whereas depression was diagnosed in 10% of group I patients and 6% of group II respondents. The study groups showed no difference in the level of anxiety and depression (p ≥0.05). No statistically significant correlations between patients’ groups, divided in regard to the level of anxiety and depression, were found (Ch2 = 2.4, p = 0.3 vs. Ch2 = 1.04, p = 0.59). The multivariate analysis (ANOVA) also confirmed that anxiety and depression incidence did not depend on diagnosis (R Rao = 1.5, p = 0.23). Both groups showed strong positive relation between the level of anxiety and depression (r = 0.66, p = 0.001).
Conclusions. The level of anxiety and depression was observed in a small proportion of respondents. Adolescents suffering from CF and malignant diseases showed no difference in regard to the anxiety and depression levels. However, it could be possible that patients hid disturbing symptoms (anxiety and depression). Therefore, special care must be delivered to those whose level of depression and anxiety are close to the upper norm limit.