Predictors of long-term anxiety and depression in uveal melanoma survivors: A cross-lagged five-year analysis

Source: MDLinx, August 2020

As anxiety and depression are commonly reported in cancer survivors in long-term, researchers here examined three potential causal paths: (a) a direct path in which anxiety and depression arise due to concerns regarding physical symptoms and functional problems and fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) emerging during survivorship, (b) an indirect path whereby effects of concerns regarding physical symptoms and functional problems on anxiety and depression are mediated by FCR, and (c) a reciprocal path whereby anxiety and depression cause concerns regarding physical symptoms and functional problems and FCR, which aggravate later anxiety and depression.

Data were obtained from sample of 453 uveal melanoma survivors who completed observations 6-, 12-, 24-, 36-, 48- and 60-months postdiagnosis and missed no two consecutive observations.

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