Journal List > J Korean Acad Nurs > v.35(1) > 1063351

Lee, Sohn, Lee, Park, and Park: A Correlational Study among Perceived Stress, Anger Expression, and Depression in Cancer Patients

Abstract

Purpose

This study was to identify the relationship between perceived stress, anger expression, and level of depression in cancer patients.

Method

A cross-sectional descriptive study design was used. Data was collected by questionnaires from 185 in- and out-patients who were diagnosed with cancer at 3 university hospitals and the National Cancer Center using Spielberger et al.'s Anger Expression Scale, Cohen, Kamarch & Mermelstein's Perceived Stress, and Derogatise's SCL-90. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficient, and stepwise multiple regression with SAS/PC.

Result

The perceived stress in cancer patients indicated a significant positive correlation to anger-in(r=.288, p=.000), anger-out(r=.232, p=.001), and depression(r=.68, p=.000), but no significant correlation to anger-control. The anger-in of cancer patients showed a significant positive relationship to anger-out(r=.53, p=.000), and depression(r=.383, p=.000), but no significant correlation to anger-control. Anger-out showed a significantly negative correlation to anger-control(r=-.248, p=.001) and a positive correlation to depression(r=.240, p=.001). The most significant predictor which influenced depression in cancer patients was perceived stress, followed by anger-in and hobby, and these factors explained their depression with a variance of 54%.

Conclusion

These results suggested that cancer patients with a high degree of perceived stress are likely to be high in anger-out and anger-in. Perceived stress and anger-in are major factors which affect depression in cancer patients.

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