Abstract
Purpose: Monitoring distress assessment in cancer patients during the treatment phase is a component of good quality care practice. Yet, there is a dearth of prospective studies examining distress. In an attempt to begin filling this gap and inform clinical practice, we conducted a prospective, longitudinal study examining changes in distress (anxiety, depression, and problems in living) by age and gender and the roles of age and gender in predicting distress. Methods: Newly diagnosed Brazilian cancer patients (N = 548) were assessed at three time points during chemotherapy. Age and gender were identified on the first day of chemotherapy (T1); anxiety, depression, and problems in living were self-reported at T1, the planned midway point (T2), and the last day of chemotherapy (T3). Results: At T1, 37 and 17% of patients reported clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression, respectively. At T3, the prevalence was reduced to 4.6% for anxiety and 5.1% for depression (p < .001). Patients 40–55 years, across all time points, reported greater anxiety and practical problems than patients >70 years (p < .03). Female patients reported greater emotional, physical, and family problems than their male counterparts (p < .04). Conclusions: For most patients, elevated levels of distress noted in the beginning of treatment subsided by the time of treatment completion. However, middle-aged and female patients continued to report heightened distress. Evidence-based psychosocial intervention offered to at risk patients during early phases of the treatment may provide distress relief and improve outcomes over the illness trajectory while preventing psychosocial and physical morbidity due to untreated chronic distress.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-8 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | Supportive Care in Cancer |
| DOIs | |
| State | Accepted/In press - Feb 2 2017 |
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Keywords
- Age
- Anxiety
- Brazilian cancer patients
- Depression
- Gender
- Longitudinal study
- Problems in living
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
Cite this
A prospective study of changes in anxiety, depression, and problems in living during chemotherapy treatments : effects of age and gender. / Bergerot, Cristiane Decat; Mitchell, Hannah Rose; Ashing, Kimlin Tam; Kim, Youngmee.
In: Supportive Care in Cancer, 02.02.2017, p. 1-8.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A prospective study of changes in anxiety, depression, and problems in living during chemotherapy treatments
T2 - effects of age and gender
AU - Bergerot, Cristiane Decat
AU - Mitchell, Hannah Rose
AU - Ashing, Kimlin Tam
AU - Kim, Youngmee
PY - 2017/2/2
Y1 - 2017/2/2
N2 - Purpose: Monitoring distress assessment in cancer patients during the treatment phase is a component of good quality care practice. Yet, there is a dearth of prospective studies examining distress. In an attempt to begin filling this gap and inform clinical practice, we conducted a prospective, longitudinal study examining changes in distress (anxiety, depression, and problems in living) by age and gender and the roles of age and gender in predicting distress. Methods: Newly diagnosed Brazilian cancer patients (N = 548) were assessed at three time points during chemotherapy. Age and gender were identified on the first day of chemotherapy (T1); anxiety, depression, and problems in living were self-reported at T1, the planned midway point (T2), and the last day of chemotherapy (T3). Results: At T1, 37 and 17% of patients reported clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression, respectively. At T3, the prevalence was reduced to 4.6% for anxiety and 5.1% for depression (p < .001). Patients 40–55 years, across all time points, reported greater anxiety and practical problems than patients >70 years (p < .03). Female patients reported greater emotional, physical, and family problems than their male counterparts (p < .04). Conclusions: For most patients, elevated levels of distress noted in the beginning of treatment subsided by the time of treatment completion. However, middle-aged and female patients continued to report heightened distress. Evidence-based psychosocial intervention offered to at risk patients during early phases of the treatment may provide distress relief and improve outcomes over the illness trajectory while preventing psychosocial and physical morbidity due to untreated chronic distress.
AB - Purpose: Monitoring distress assessment in cancer patients during the treatment phase is a component of good quality care practice. Yet, there is a dearth of prospective studies examining distress. In an attempt to begin filling this gap and inform clinical practice, we conducted a prospective, longitudinal study examining changes in distress (anxiety, depression, and problems in living) by age and gender and the roles of age and gender in predicting distress. Methods: Newly diagnosed Brazilian cancer patients (N = 548) were assessed at three time points during chemotherapy. Age and gender were identified on the first day of chemotherapy (T1); anxiety, depression, and problems in living were self-reported at T1, the planned midway point (T2), and the last day of chemotherapy (T3). Results: At T1, 37 and 17% of patients reported clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression, respectively. At T3, the prevalence was reduced to 4.6% for anxiety and 5.1% for depression (p < .001). Patients 40–55 years, across all time points, reported greater anxiety and practical problems than patients >70 years (p < .03). Female patients reported greater emotional, physical, and family problems than their male counterparts (p < .04). Conclusions: For most patients, elevated levels of distress noted in the beginning of treatment subsided by the time of treatment completion. However, middle-aged and female patients continued to report heightened distress. Evidence-based psychosocial intervention offered to at risk patients during early phases of the treatment may provide distress relief and improve outcomes over the illness trajectory while preventing psychosocial and physical morbidity due to untreated chronic distress.
KW - Age
KW - Anxiety
KW - Brazilian cancer patients
KW - Depression
KW - Gender
KW - Longitudinal study
KW - Problems in living
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85011290971&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85011290971&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-017-3596-9
DO - 10.1007/s00520-017-3596-9
M3 - Article
C2 - 28150043
AN - SCOPUS:85011290971
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
SN - 0941-4355
ER -