%0 Journal Article
%T Measuring Distress in Cancer Patients: A Cancer Distress Screening with a Cancer-specific Questionnaire
%J -
%D 2017
%X Aims: To assess the psychological distress of cancer patients in a disease-specific manner as well as the demographic, social, financial and medical variables that have an impact on the distress. Method: 115 patients were randomly selected from patients admitted for chemotherapy treatment in the Oncology Department, UHC of Tirana. Two questionnaires: 1-NCCN Distress Thermometer and Problem List for Patients and 2-Specific questionnaire regarding patient`s financial status were administered to all the patients. Results and Discussion: Patients with unmet needs showed significantly higher psychological and symptom distress for most needs. From the explored demographic factors (gender, residence, age, and education), only age has a main effect upon depression (depression increasing with age), while education is the only factor from those analysed, which has a moderator effect. Regarding the analysed intra-individual variables, only dysfunctional attitudes, emotion-focused coping, and lack of emotional support from the family have main effects upon the level of depression (i.e., higher levels of dysfunctional attitudes, emotion-focused coping, and loneliness are associated with higher levels of depression), while neither of them has a moderator effect on the relationship between knowing the diagnosis and depression. We also found that financial distress was associated with overall distress. Conclusion: Cancer-specific distress questionnaires give a more precise insight into patients' experience than general or psychiatric questionnaires. Coordinated psychosocial care may benefit cancer patients with significant distress. NCCN tool helps to assess the severity of patients¡¯ distress and to determine the need for intervention.
%K Cancer Patient
%K Distress
%K Screening Instruments
%K Depression
%U http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/journal/paperinfo?journalid=653&doi=10.11648/j.ajpn.s.2017050601.60