Comparing Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders and Related Transdiagnostic Factors in Cancer Patients and Healthy Individuals

Introduction:This study aimed to compare symptoms of anxiety disorders and related transdiagnostic factors in cancer patients and healthy individuals.Materials and Methods: In this causal-comparative study, ۳۰ patients with cancer and ۳۰ healthy individuals were selected by the convenience sampling method. The groups were matched in demographic characteristics with each other. The participates completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-۷ (۲۰۰۶), Severity Measure for Panic Disorder-Adult (۲۰۱۳), Social Phobia Inventory (۲۰۰۰), Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (۲۰۰۸), Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (۱۹۹۴), Metacognition Questionnaire (۲۰۰۴), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II (۲۰۱۱), and Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (۲۰۰۶). Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version ۲۴), using a one-way analysis of variance. The significance level was ۰.۰۵.Results: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the two groups in symptoms of generalized anxiety (GAD) and panic disorders (PD) (P<۰.۰۵). However, no significant difference was observed in symptoms of a social anxiety disorder (P>۰.۰۵). In addition, there was a significant difference between the two groups in all transdiagnostic factors (P<۰.۰۵).Conclusion: Individuals with cancer were reported more symptoms of GAD and PD and related transdiagnostic factors than those in the control group.