{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T17:58:35Z","timestamp":1790618315433,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"19","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]],"date-time":"2026-09-27T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790467200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Clin. Med.","JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Patients with melanoma may experience depression and anxiety, but their relationship with dermatology-related quality of life (QoL) remains insufficiently characterized. This study assessed depressive and anxiety symptoms and their associations with QoL, sex, disease stage, and time since diagnosis. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 162 adults with histologically confirmed melanoma recruited consecutively at two Polish tertiary oncology centers. Participants completed the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI). Associations were examined using non-parametric tests and multivariable linear regression. Results: Positive screening rates were 8.8% for depression using PHQ-9 and 15.2% using HADS-D, and 19.1% for anxiety using GAD-7 and 27.4% using HADS-A. Women had higher PHQ-9, GAD-7, and HADS-A scores than men. All psychological measures correlated with DLQI scores (Spearman\u2019s \u03c1 = 0.328\u20130.414; all adjusted q &lt; 0.001). In multivariable models, higher DLQI scores independently correlated with greater symptom severity across all four measures (all p \u2264 0.001). Female sex independently correlated with higher PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores, while younger age correlated with higher PHQ-9, GAD-7, and HADS-A scores. Neither melanoma stage nor time since diagnosis was independently associated with psychological symptoms. Conclusions: Depressive and anxiety symptoms are clinically relevant in melanoma and closely associated with poorer dermatology-related QoL. Psychological screening should not be limited to patients with advanced disease. Females and younger patients may warrant particular attention.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15197524","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T16:50:54Z","timestamp":1790614254000},"page":"7524","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Depression and Anxiety in Melanoma Patients and Their Relationships with Dermatology-Related Quality of Life: A Prospective Observational Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Maja","family":"Hrynczyszyn","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Research Group, Division of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-377 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Michalina","family":"\u015awietlicka","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Research Group, Division of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-377 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Paulina","family":"Piesch","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Research Group, Division of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-377 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Maciej","family":"Kr\u0119\u017cel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Research Group, Division of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-377 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Hanna","family":"Adamska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Research Group, Division of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-377 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Inga","family":"Bu\u0142awa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Students\u2019 Research Group, Division of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 50-377 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4843-4073","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marta","family":"Szepietowska","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School of Medical and Health Sciences, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-530 Cracow, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Dermatology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, 31-503 Cracow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Piotr K.","family":"Krajewski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 51-377 Wroclaw, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Dermato-Venereology, 4th Military Hospital, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"formal-analysis","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"visualization","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"Przemys\u0142aw","family":"Pacan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Medical Sciences, Rzeszow University, 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9810-4945","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gra\u017cyna","family":"Kami\u0144ska-Winciorek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Skin Cancer and Melanoma Team, Department of Bone Marrow Transplantation and Haematology-Oncology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, 44-102 Gliwice Branch, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7890-3483","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marcin","family":"Zi\u0119tek","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lower Silesian Oncology, Pulmonology and Hematology Center, 53-413 Wroclaw, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw Medical University, 53-413 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"investigation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"data-curation","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"given":"\u0141ukasz","family":"Matusiak","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 51-377 Wroclaw, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Dermato-Venereology, 4th Military Hospital, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0766-6342","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jacek C.","family":"Szepietowski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Dermatology, Venereology and Clinical Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, 51-377 Wroclaw, Poland"},{"name":"Department of Dermato-Venereology, 4th Military Hospital, 50-981 Wroclaw, Poland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"},{"role":"conceptualization","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-original-draft","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"writing-review-editing","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"funding-acquisition","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"project-administration","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"supervision","vocabulary":"credit"},{"role":"methodology","vocabulary":"credit"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Saginala, K., Barsouk, A., Aluru, J.S., Rawla, P., and Barsouk, A. (2021). Epidemiology of Melanoma. Med. Sci., 9.","DOI":"10.3390\/medsci9040063"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"1005","article-title":"Melanoma: Epidemiology, risk factors, pathogenesis, diagnosis and classification","volume":"28","author":"Rastrelli","year":"2014","journal-title":"In Vivo"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"75","DOI":"10.5603\/njo.99065","article-title":"Cancer incidence and mortality in Poland in 2023","volume":"74","author":"Didkowska","year":"2024","journal-title":"Nowotwory"},{"key":"ref_4","first-page":"229","article-title":"Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries","volume":"74","author":"Bray","year":"2024","journal-title":"CA Cancer J. Clin."},{"key":"ref_5","first-page":"e79637","article-title":"Exploring the Psychological Experiences of Patients with Melanoma: A Narrative Review","volume":"17","author":"Bhakta","year":"2025","journal-title":"Cureus"},{"key":"ref_6","first-page":"11","article-title":"Psychosocial wellbeing in people with melanoma in-situ: A systematic review","volume":"35","author":"Zheng","year":"2025","journal-title":"Melanoma Res."},{"key":"ref_7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1093\/bjd\/ljae011","article-title":"Prevalence and odds of anxiety and depression in cutaneous malignant melanoma: A proportional meta-analysis and regression","volume":"191","author":"Kungwengwe","year":"2024","journal-title":"Br. J. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"712","DOI":"10.1007\/s11764-020-00885-9","article-title":"Anxiety and depression after diagnosis of high-risk primary cutaneous melanoma: A 4-year longitudinal study","volume":"14","author":"Beesley","year":"2020","journal-title":"J. Cancer Surviv."},{"key":"ref_9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e70335","DOI":"10.1002\/pon.70335","article-title":"Gender Differences in Quality of Life and Psycho-Oncological Needs During the First Year After Melanoma Diagnosis","volume":"34","author":"Hassel","year":"2025","journal-title":"Psychooncology"},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Szepietowska, M., Krajewski, P.K., Pacan, P., Wojas-Pelc, A., Matusiak, L., and Jaworek, A.K. (2026). A Cross-Sectional Study on Relationships Between Depression and Anxiety in Hidradenitis Suppurativa Patients and Disease Severity, Subjective Symptoms and Quality of Life. J. Clin. Med., 15.","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15020700"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Beutel, M.E., Fischbeck, S., Binder, H., Blettner, M., Br\u00e4hler, E., Emrich, K., Friedrich-Mai, P., Imruck, B.H., Weyer, V., and Zeissig, S.R. (2015). Depression, Anxiety and Quality of Life in Long-Term Survivors of Malignant Melanoma: A Register-Based Cohort Study. PLoS ONE, 10.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0116440"},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"763","DOI":"10.1002\/pon.3718","article-title":"Supportive care needs, anxiety, depression and quality of life amongst newly diagnosed patients with localised invasive cutaneous melanoma in Queensland, Australia","volume":"24","author":"Beesley","year":"2015","journal-title":"Psychooncology"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Piesch, P., Kr\u0119\u017cel, M., Adamska, H., Bu\u0142awa, I., Hrynczyszyn, M., \u015awietlicka, M., Szepietowska, M., Krajewski, P.K., Kami\u0144ska-Winciorek, G., and Zi\u0119tek, M. (2026). Illness Acceptance Among Adults with Melanoma: A Prospective Observational Cross-Sectional Study. Cancers, 18.","DOI":"10.3390\/cancers18162558"},{"key":"ref_14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"52","DOI":"10.1007\/s11912-019-0799-x","article-title":"Changes in the 8th Edition of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging of Head and Neck Cancer: Rationale and Implications","volume":"21","author":"Patel","year":"2019","journal-title":"Curr. Oncol. Rep."},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Dajpratham, P., Pukrittayakamee, P., Atsariyasing, W., Wannarit, K., Boonhong, J., and Pongpirul, K. (2020). The validity and reliability of the PHQ-9 in screening for post-stroke depression. BMC Psychiatry, 20.","DOI":"10.1186\/s12888-020-02699-6"},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"606","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1525-1497.2001.016009606.x","article-title":"The PHQ-9: Validity of a brief depression severity measure","volume":"16","author":"Kroenke","year":"2001","journal-title":"J. Gen. Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1092","DOI":"10.1001\/archinte.166.10.1092","article-title":"A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: The GAD-7","volume":"166","author":"Spitzer","year":"2006","journal-title":"Arch. Intern. Med."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1016\/j.genhosppsych.2015.11.005","article-title":"Screening for anxiety disorders with the GAD-7 and GAD-2: A systematic review and diagnostic metaanalysis","volume":"39","author":"Plummer","year":"2016","journal-title":"Gen. Hosp. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"361","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x","article-title":"The hospital anxiety and depression scale","volume":"67","author":"Zigmond","year":"1983","journal-title":"Acta Psychiatr. Scand."},{"key":"ref_20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"210","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1365-2230.1994.tb01167.x","article-title":"Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI)\u2014A simple practical measure for routine clinical use","volume":"19","author":"Finlay","year":"1994","journal-title":"Clin. Exp. Dermatol."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1208","DOI":"10.1002\/pon.6184","article-title":"Psychological and behavioral symptoms in patients with melanoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"32","author":"Danielsen","year":"2023","journal-title":"Psychooncology"},{"key":"ref_22","unstructured":"Moskalewicz, J., and Wci\u00f3rka, J. (2021). Kondycja Psychiczna Mieszka\u0144c\u00f3w Polski. Raport z Bada\u0144 \u201eKompleksowe Badanie Stanu Zdrowia Psychicznego Spo\u0142ecze\u0144stwa i Jego Uwarunkowa\u0144\u2014EZOP II\u201d."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"146","DOI":"10.1080\/0284186X.2016.1266090","article-title":"Depressive spectrum disorders in cancer: Prevalence, risk factors and screening for depression: A critical review","volume":"56","author":"Caruso","year":"2017","journal-title":"Acta Oncol."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1168","DOI":"10.1016\/S1470-2045(14)70343-2","article-title":"Integrated collaborative care for major depression comorbid with a poor prognosis cancer (SMaRT Oncology-3): A multicentre randomised controlled trial in patients with lung cancer","volume":"15","author":"Walker","year":"2014","journal-title":"Lancet Oncol."},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"46","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejca.2016.11.017","article-title":"The risk of being depressed is significantly higher in cancer patients than in the general population: Prevalence and severity of depressive symptoms across major cancer types","volume":"72","author":"Hartung","year":"2017","journal-title":"Eur. J. Cancer"},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Imran, M., Al-Wassia, R., Alkhayyat, S.S., Baig, M., and Al-Saati, B.A. (2019). Assessment of quality of life (QoL) in breast cancer patients by using EORTC QLQ-C30 and BR-23 questionnaires: A tertiary care center survey in the western region of Saudi Arabia. PLoS ONE, 14.","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0219093"},{"key":"ref_27","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"247","DOI":"10.1186\/s12955-017-0815-5","article-title":"Psychometric properties of the FACT-M questionnaire in patients with Merkel cell carcinoma","volume":"15","author":"Bharmal","year":"2017","journal-title":"Heal. Qual. Life Outcomes"},{"key":"ref_28","first-page":"139","article-title":"Measuring quality of life in patients with melanoma: Development of the FACT-Melanoma subscale","volume":"3","author":"Cormier","year":"2005","journal-title":"J. Support. Oncol."}],"container-title":["Journal of Clinical Medicine"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/19\/7524\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,28]],"date-time":"2026-09-28T17:18:58Z","timestamp":1790615938000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2077-0383\/15\/19\/7524"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]]},"references-count":28,"journal-issue":{"issue":"19","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]}},"alternative-id":["jcm15197524"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/jcm15197524","relation":{},"ISSN":["2077-0383"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2077-0383","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,27]]}}}