Level of Anxiety, Depression and Stress among Male and Female Cancer Patients

The term cancer covers more than 100 different medical conditions all involving the abnormal and excessive divisions of human cells. Cancer is also known as ‘malignant disease’. Tumour and growth are alternative terms which are sometimes used for cancers (Barraclough, 2000). The present research examined gender differences in the degree of anxiety, depression and stress among cancer patients. The sample consisted of 80 male and female patients within the age range of 25-45 years. The sample for the study was obtained from the various Hospitals of Ahmedabad city. The purposive sampling strategy was used because the patients were selected on the basis of the inclusion-exclusion criteria such as 1) age range within 25-45 years; 2) willingness to participate in the present research; 3) suffering from lungs and breast cancer in the first stage; and 4) being treated in outdoor settings of public hospitals of Ahmedabad city. Finding reported that both male and female cancer patients have a similar level of anxiety and depression but the stress was revealed elevated higher among female patients. Primary level educated cancer patients have reported higher anxiety, depression and stress than the higher level educated patients.