Anxiety and depression in breast cancer patients at low risk of recurrencecompared with the general population: A valid comparison?

Breast cancer and its treatment have been associated with psychological mor bidity. In this study our aim was to quantify the excess anxiety and depres sion resulting from breast cancer. We compared 538 newly diagnosed breast c ancer patients at low risk of recurrence (87.0% responded) to 872 women ran domly selected from the Danish general population (69.7% responded) using t he Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Contrary to expectations, the proportions classified as "cases" of anxiety and depression were not si gnificantly different in the two groups. The breast cancer patients' mean H ADS scores were significantly lower than those in the general population sa mple (anxiety, P = 0.021; depression, P < 0.001), indicating less anxiety a nd depression. However, we question the validity of this comparison. The HA DS may not be suitable for use in the general population and there may be m ethodological problems in comparisons of groups whose life situations are v ery different. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.