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A few and partial data are available on psychosocial morbidity among cancer patients in Mediterranean countries. As a part of a more general investigation (Southern European Psycho-Oncology Study—SEPOS), the rate of psychosocial morbidity and its correlation with clinical and cultural variables were examined in cancer patients in Italy, Portugal and Spain.

A convenience sample of cancer outpatients with good performance status and no cognitive impairment were approached. The Hospital Anxiety–Depression scale (HAD-S), the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale (Mini-MAC), and the Cancer Worries Inventory (CWI) were used to measure psychological morbidity, coping strategies and concerns about illness.

Of 277 patients, 34% had pathological scores (“borderline cases” plus “true cases”) on HAD-S Anxiety and 24.9% on HAD-S Depression. Total psychiatric …