BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and distress among 189 consecutively recruited cancer patients upon admission to surgical oncology wards, and to investigate the recognition of distressed patients by medical staff. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Assessment consisted of a diagnostic psychiatric interview (SCID, DSM-IV), patient-reported distress using a standardised questionnaire (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and physicians' and nurses' estimates of patients' distress. Twenty-eight per cent of patients were assigned a psychiatric diagnosis, with adjustment disorder predominating. RESULTS: Surgeons accurately recognised marked distress in 77% of patients with a psychiatric disorder and nurses did so in 75%. Because of low specificity, the positive predictive value was only 39% in surgeons and 40% in nurses. However, recognition of distress translated into referral to the psychosocial liaison service for only a minor proportion of distressed patients. CONCLUSIONS: Since a remarkable proportion of distressed patients remained unrecognised by the medical staff, only systematic screening of patients upon admission allows timely support to those who are most in need. Copyright 2004 European Society for Medical Oncology
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of psychiatric morbidity and distress among 189 consecutively recruited cancerpatients upon admission to surgical oncology wards, and to investigate the recognition of distressed patients by medical staff. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Assessment consisted of a diagnostic psychiatric interview (SCID, DSM-IV), patient-reported distress using a standardised questionnaire (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and physicians' and nurses' estimates of patients' distress. Twenty-eight per cent of patients were assigned a psychiatric diagnosis, with adjustment disorder predominating. RESULTS: Surgeons accurately recognised marked distress in 77% of patients with a psychiatric disorder and nurses did so in 75%. Because of low specificity, the positive predictive value was only 39% in surgeons and 40% in nurses. However, recognition of distress translated into referral to the psychosocial liaison service for only a minor proportion of distressed patients. CONCLUSIONS: Since a remarkable proportion of distressed patients remained unrecognised by the medical staff, only systematic screening of patients upon admission allows timely support to those who are most in need. Copyright 2004 European Society for Medical Oncology
Authors: Eva Mazzotti; Gian Carlo Antonini Cappellini; Stefania Buconovo; Roberto Morese; Alessandro Scoppola; Claudia Sebastiani; Paolo Marchetti Journal: Support Care Cancer Date: 2012-01-21 Impact factor: 3.603
Authors: K Kirchheiner; A Czajka; E Ponocny-Seliger; C Lütgendorf-Caucig; M P Schmid; E Komarek; R Pötter; W Dörr Journal: Strahlenther Onkol Date: 2013-03-29 Impact factor: 3.621
Authors: Holger Bringmann; Susanne Singer; Michael Höckel; Jens-Uwe Stolzenburg; Oliver Krauß; Reinhold Schwarz Journal: Psychosoc Med Date: 2008-04-17