ASSESSMENT OF CORE AND BRIDGE SYMPTOMS IN PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS AND DEPRESSION IN PATIENTS WITH NASOPHARYNGEAL CARCINOMA

The current cross-sectional study on NPC examined the real-world burden of anxiety and depression in a large patient population and the relationship between anxiety, depression, insomnia, and quality of life. Regarding patients who have nasopharyngeal cancer, the purpose of our research is to evaluate the core and bridge symptoms that are associated with psychiatric illnesses and depression. The research involved professional specialists from various Pakistani institutions to study the prevalence of anxiety and depression among patients with nasopharyngeal cancer. The primary outcome was the identification of central symptoms and bridge symptoms. Patients were recruited upon admission to the hospital and given electronic reports about their mental health. Anxiety and depression were screened using the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), respectively. The study collected data through mental health surveys, which assessed anxiety, sadness, quality of life, sleep disturbance, tiredness, and baseline characteristics. The study used binary logistic regression to identify independent components influencing anxiety and depression. Analysis was conducted to examine central symptoms within the symptom network of anxiety, depression, quality of life, and quality of service. The C-GAD-7, C-PHQ-9, and DSM-V were compared for 242 patients in May 2023. The C-GAD-7 had an internal consistency coefficient of 0.892 and a retested correlation coefficient of 0.696. The ideal thresholds for diagnosing anxiety and depression in NPC patients were 7 and 8 points, respectively. Anxiety peaked in period A and stabilized from period B to period E. A subgroup analysis revealed that moderate and severe anxiety was more visible after radiation. Depression prevalence was 26.6%, 21.0%, 24.8%, 35.9%, 48.5%, 25.3%, and 29.8%, respectively. Patients with moderate to severe depression exhibited an increase in symptoms during radiotherapy. It is concluded that patients with NPC have facing significant psychiatric disorders. The recognition of primary and bridge symptoms drives an accurate intervention for mental disorders. Patients with non-proliferative cancer (NPC) experience considerable anxiety and sadness, necessitating the development of tailored interventions for those at elevated risk.