Anxiety, depression and coping strategies during chemotherapy treatment: A comparison of older and younger adults with advanced cancer in Brazil.

We sought to examine differences in anxiety, depression and coping strategies among younger (<64 years old) and older (≥65 years old) patients. Patients were assessed at baseline (T1), mid-point (T2) and on the last day of treatment (T3) using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Ways of Coping. Linear mixed modeling approach was used. The study included 200 patients (gender: 70% women; diagnosis: 30% breast, 22% hematological, 18% gastrointestinal; disease stage: 60% advanced). Older patients who used an emotion-focused coping strategy had a greater decrease in anxiety at T3 compared to those that used problem-focused coping (p = 0.002).