Depression
Barriers to Recognizing Depression in Cancer

Depression is a very concerning problem worldwide with up to 340 million people suffering from depression. The occurrence of depression among people with cancer is significantly greater than among the general public. ¹¹

Despite the increased occurrence of depression in cancer there are many barriers to recognizing depression in people with cancer. The common barriers include:

• People with cancer, their family members and healthcare providers are misinformed, believing that depression is an expected outcome of having cancer



• People with cancer commonly underestimate their own distress



• Many of the symptoms of depression are common side effects of cancer treatment or symptoms of the cancer itself.