Prevalence and predictors of probable depression in prostate cancer survivors.
BACKGROUND
The early diagnosis and treatment of depression are cancer care priorities. These priorities are critical for prostate cancer survivors because men rarely seek mental health care. However, little is known about the epidemiology of depression in this patient population. The goal of this study was to describe the prevalence and predictors of probable depression in prostate cancer survivors.


METHODS
The data were from a population-based cohort of North Carolinian prostate cancer survivors who were enrolled from 2004 to 2007 in the North Carolina-Louisiana Prostate Cancer Project (n = 1031) and were prospectively followed annually from 2008 to 2011 in the Health Care Access and Prostate Cancer Treatment in North Carolina study (n = 805). Generalized estimating equations were used to evaluate an indicator of probable depression (Short Form 12 mental composite score ≤48.9; measured at enrollment and during the annual follow-up) as a function of individual-level characteristics within the longitudinal data set.


RESULTS
The prevalence of probable depression fell from 38% in the year of the cancer diagnosis to 20% 6 to 7 years later. Risk factors for probable depression throughout the study were African American race, unemployment, low annual income, younger age, recency of cancer diagnosis, past depression, comorbidities, treatment decisional regret, and nonadherence to exercise recommendations.


CONCLUSIONS
Depression is a major challenge for prostate cancer survivors, particularly in the first 5 years after the cancer diagnosis. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate an association between treatment decisional regret and probable depression.
['Erim|Daniel O|DO|0000-0002-6604-7640', 'Bensen|Jeannette T|JT|', 'Mohler|James L|JL|', 'Fontham|Elizabeth T H|ETH|', 'Song|Lixin|L|', 'Farnan|Laura|L|', 'Delacroix|Scott E|SE|', 'Peters|Edward S|ES|0000-0003-4928-6532', 'Erim|Theodora N|TN|', 'Chen|Ronald C|RC|', 'Gaynes|Bradley N|BN|']
D000328:Adult D001741:African Americans D000367:Age Factors D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D000073116:Cancer Survivors D003657:Decision Making D003863:Depression D004644:Emotions D005500:Follow-Up Studies D006801:Humans D008145:Louisiana D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D009657:North Carolina D010349:Patient Compliance D015995:Prevalence D011336:Probability D011446:Prospective Studies D011467:Prostate D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales D011788:Quality of Life D012307:Risk Factors D014478:Unemployment D044465:Whites
predictors depression prostate cancer risk factors health disparity