DEPRESSION FOLLOWING LARYNGECTOMY - A PILOT-STUDY

When a group of 10 patients who had received surgery for carcinoma of the larynx were compared with 1 0 control patients who had received ra diotherapy for carcinoma of the larynx, four of the former but none of the latter were found to be suffering from depression, a statisticall y significant difference. Depression was associated with poor communic ation skills and geographical isolation. Psychiatric intervention is r ecommended for patients undergoing mutilating forms of surgery.