Skip to main content

HYPOTHESIS AND THEORY article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Public Mental Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1485196
This article is part of the Research Topic Mental Health of Vulnerable Groups: Predictors, Mechanisms, and Interventions View all 11 articles

Study on the Changes and Influencing Factors of Depression in Chinese Women with Cancer: An Analysis Based on CHARLS Panel Data

Provisionally accepted
Na Wang Na Wang 1Mengran Chang Mengran Chang 1*Liu Shidong Liu Shidong 2*Bing Chen Bing Chen 3*
  • 1 Gynecology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, Anhui, Bengbu, China
  • 2 China Cooperative Research Institute, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, China
  • 3 School of Languages and Media, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: Based on cancer impacts, this study aims to clarify the depressive state, development trends, and influencing factors in Chinese women with cancer, a group particularly susceptible to depression, to provide decision-making references for improving their psychological well-being. Methods: Using follow-up panel data from five waves of China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), Chinese women with cancer who had complete observed values were selected as research subjects. After data cleaning, a balanced short panel dataset containing 1,030 samples was obtained. The depression characteristics and development trends in women with cancer were analyzed using the panel statistical method, and the influence of socio-demographic factors was examined using a panel stochastic trend model.The overall depression of Chinese women with cancer has deteriorated, putting them at risk of moderate depressive disorder. The development trend shows an inverted "U" curve, with significant differences observed among various groups based on urban and rural residency, educational levels, and regional locations. Specifically, urban women with cancer show milder depressive symptoms than those in rural areas, and women in the eastern region, those with higher educational levels, and those with non-reproductive system cancers show milder depressive symptoms than those in the central and western regions, those with lower educational levels, and those with reproductive system cancers. Regression analysis indicates that socio-demographic factors significantly influence depression in women with cancer. Among these influencing factors, age, having a spouse, high educational level, good performance in the activity of daily living (ADL), frequent visits to neighbors, and regular exercise are protective factors against depression, while diabetes, dyslipidemia, frequent outpatient visits, frequent hospitalizations, smoking, and low life satisfaction are risk factors for depression. Conclusion: The depressive state among Chinese women with cancer is alarming. In view of this, there is an urgent need for introducing more supportive policies aimed at improving psychological health, developing tailored measures to address the specific needs of different groups, intensifying efforts to standardize the diagnosis and treatment of depression, particularly for those in rural areas, central and western regions, and among individuals with lower educational levels.

    Keywords: Women with cancer, Depression, Development trends, Influencing factors, Panel stochastic trend model

    Received: 23 Aug 2024; Accepted: 30 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Chang, Shidong and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Mengran Chang, Gynecology Department, First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical University, Bengbu, Anhui, Bengbu, China
    Liu Shidong, China Cooperative Research Institute, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, China
    Bing Chen, School of Languages and Media, Anhui University of Finance and Economics, Bengbu, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.