The Interplay of Depression, Death Anxiety, and Demographic Factors in Shaping the Desire to Live among Oncology Patients

Abstract

This study focuses on the issue of determining the impact of demographic and psychological aspects on the intention of living among oncology patients in India. With a descriptive- comparative and cross-sectional design, the data were gathered on 180 patients based on the age, gender and residence status. The Desire to Live Scale, Hamilton Rating Depression Scale (2015 adaptation) and Death Anxiety Scale (Dhar–Mehta Version) were used. The findings indicated that the moderate desire to live was present in the vast majority of patients (85.6%), and the younger adults (18–30 years) scored significantly higher than older patients (31–60 years). There were no major differences based on gender or residence groups. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that, death anxiety was significantly correlated with and negatively predicted the desire to live (B = -0.759, p = 0.019) but not in the case of depression. These results demonstrate how existential distress and age-related variables are in the centre of life motivation development in cancer patients. The research points out the significance of age- sensitive and death-anxiety-oriented psychological interventions in the cancer treatment scenario.