Emotional Trauma Burden Among Cervical Cancer Patients in Western Kenya

Cervical cancer is widespread and is associated with rising morbidity and mortality rates. A comprehensive intervention that includes mental health evaluations is crucial once a diagnosis of cervical cancer is established, as it helps to investigate emotional trauma (ET), which manifests as a range of mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. Some research indicates that ET may precede cervical cancer, while other studies assert that ET arises from the diagnosis of cancer and tends to worsen as the disease advances, consequently diminishing the quality of life. The impact of ET adds to the cancer burden by leading to decreased adherence to treatment and extended hospital stays. In Kenya, the occurrence of ET among cervical cancer patients is not thoroughly documented, given that mental health assessments and interventions are infrequently integrated at the time of diagnosis or during treatment. This study explored the prevalence and co-occurrence of ET (PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety) in a cohort of 218 women diagnosed with cervical cancer from two referral hospitals in Western Kenya, selected deliberately from hospital records. Data collection employed self-report questionnaires, including the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, the Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. Using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (version 23), descriptive statistics revealed prevalence rates, while Spearman's Rank correlation assessed the interrelations among PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety. Findings indicated notably high prevalence rates of Anxiety (80.3%), and Depression (67%) and PTSD (28.9%). Spearman’s correlation statistic (ρ) confirmed significant comorbidities, highlighting a statistically significant positive correlation between depression and anxiety (ρ= 0.539; p=0.000), PTSD and anxiety (ρ=0.474; p=0.000), as well as PTSD and depression (ρ=0.453; p=0.000). Consequently, the burdensome nature of ET was affirmed, with anxiety and depression presenting the highest prevalence, and comorbidity rates indicating the need for effective psychological intervention upon cervical cancer diagnosis.