Relationship between Mental Health and Quality of Life in Cancer Patients

Cancer is a disease that is determined by unnatural deformation and differentiation of cells.Cancer patients face psychosocial and physical problems that may have an impact on the patient's quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between mental health and quality of life in cancer patients. This study was a correlational research. In this study, 90patients referred to Shefa hospital in Ahvaz were selected through convenient sampling in 2008. Data was collected by General Health Questionnaire and short form quality of life questionnaire (Sf-36) and analyzed using Spearman's correlation, t-test and ANOVAs test. The results showed that most domains in quality of life were correlated with mental health domains. General health perception and physical function domains were correlated significantly with 3 domains of mental health; anxiety, social function and depression. Somatoform symptoms were correlated significantly with mental health domain of quality of life (P<0.02). Finally, social function was correlated significantly with social dysfunction domain of life quality (P<0.05). Also, anxiety and somatoform domains of mental health had a more significant relationship in women than men (P=0.006 and P=0.025). From the quality of life domain, physical function had a more significant relationship in men than women (P=0.03), while bodily pain had a more significant relationship in women than men (P=0.001). According to the findings, many quality of life domains were correlated with mental health domains and cancer had an effect on various aspects of patient's life.