Social support decreases depressogenic effect of low-dose interferon alpha treatment in melanoma patients

• Interferon treatment of melanoma patients induces increases in depressive symptoms.
• Social support proved as protective factor in interferon induced depression.
• Environmental effects moderate the cytokine pathway activation.
• Depression and anxiety are not equally influenced by cytokine pathway.

ObjectiveThe most frequent serious psychological side effect of immune therapies is depression. In the present study, we tested whether social support, as a positive environmental effect, is able to moderate depression or anxiety symptoms in melanoma patients during adjuvant low-dose interferon treatment.MethodsHundred and twenty-seven melanoma patients with negative psychiatric history were included in our longitudinal study and followed up for one year. Depression and anxiety symptoms were measured six times during treatment: at baseline, at 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th and 12th month of the therapy. In addition, social support was investigated with the Social Dimension Scale.ResultsDepressive symptoms significantly increased during the 12-month follow-up period (p < 0.001). However, social support significantly moderated the depressogenic effect of low-dose interferon treatment (p < 0.001). Patients with better social support showed attenuated increase of depression. Anxiety showed no significant changes during the low-dose interferon treatment (p = 0.230). Social support had no moderating effect on anxiety symptoms (p = 0.745) during the follow up.DiscussionOur data provide evidence that social support and interferon alpha treatment significantly interact in the development of depression. In addition, our study emphasises that enhancement of social support can reduce depressogenic side effects and increase compliance during adjuvant interferon treatment, and thus, psychological screening and psychooncological counselling should be incorporated in the treatment protocol.