Publication type
Journal Article
Authors
Publication date
December 4, 2020
Summary:
Purpose: Feelings of loneliness are likely to exacerbate risk of depression in people living with cancer during COVID-19. Design and Methods: Five hundred and eighteen people with cancer with data extracted from two waves (2017–19 and April 2020) of the Understanding Society UK dataset participated. Findings: An increased risk of depression was observed for cancer of the breast, prostate, blood, but not other cancers (e.g., lung, melanoma). After controlling for prior depression and other factors, it was loneliness during COVID-19, and not previous loneliness, that was predictive. Those currently lonely had a 4.5-fold increased risk of depression. These findings demonstrate that people living with cancer are at increased risk of developing depression during COVID-19, and that feelings of isolation help explain this risk. Implications: These particular findings have implications for health promotion and intervention work and how best to support people who may feel lonely in this vulnerable group.
Published in
Journal of Psychosocial Oncology
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1080/07347332.2020.1853653
ISSN
7347332
Subjects
Link
- https://lib.essex.ac.uk/iii/encore/record/C__Rb2069088
Notes
Online Early
#526451