Depressive Symptoms and Palliative Care Concerns Among Patients With Non-communicable Diseases in Two Southern African Countries

Context. Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), associated with health-related suffering, can benefit from palliative care in resource-limited settings, where over four -fifths of these deaths occur.Objective. To measure the prevalence of depressive symptoms, palliative care-related concerns, physical and other psycho-logical symptoms among adult patients with NCDs in Malawi and Namibia.Methods. This multi-center, cross-sectional study consecutively recruited outpatients from four tertiary referral hospitals. Stepwise regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with physical and psychological symptom burden.Results. Among 457 participants, primary diagnosis was cancer (n=147, 32%); cardiovascular disease (CVD) (n=130, 28%), chronic respiratory disease (CRESD) (n=73, 16%) or diabetes (n=107, 23%). Over half were female (58.9%; n=269), mean age was 48 (SD=15.7). Clinically significant psychological distress was identified among cancer (57.2%), diabetes (57.0%), CRESD (45.2%) and CVD patients (43.1%), with criterion for major depression symptoms met for cancer (42.9%), diabetes (39.2%), CVD (30.0%) and CRESD (28.8%). Most severe palliative care concerns were: first sharing feelings (i.e., not at all/not very often), reported by CVD (28%), CRESD (23%), cancer (22%) and diabetes (21%) patients; second help and advice (i.e., none/very lit-tle), among cancer (28%), CVD (26%), diabetes (22%), and CRESD (16%) patients. High prevalence of moderate-to-severe pain was reported (cancer 54%, CVD 41%, CRESD 38%, diabetes 38%). Functional status, age, and presence of comorbidities were associated with physical and psychological symptom distress.Conclusion. Given the high burden of physical and psychosocial symptoms and symptom distress, the findings highlight the need for integrated person-centered palliative care for NCDs to optimize care outcomes. J Pain Symptom Manage 2023;65:26 -37.(c) 2022 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

In resource-limited settings like Malawi and Namibia, patients with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) experience high levels of depressive symptoms, physical illness, and other psychological symptoms, emphasizing the importance of integrated person-centered palliative care for optimal care outcomes.