Psychiatry Investig.  2017 Nov;14(6):734-745. 10.4306/pi.2017.14.6.734.

Feasibility of Psychosocial Distress Screening and Management Program for Hospitalized Cancer Patients

• Hahn C
• Joo SH
• Chae JH
• Lee CU
• Kim TS

• KMID: 2402399
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2017.14.6.734

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Although the diagnosis and treatment of cancer is associated with psychosocial distress, routine distress screening is difficult in hospitalized oncology settings. We developed a consecutive screening program for psychosocial distress to promote psychiatric treatment of cancer patients and evaluated the feasibility of our program by Distress Thermometer (DT) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).
METHODS
Among 777 cancer inpatients recruited from the Catholic Comprehensive Institute of Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, 499 agreed to complete primary distress screening through DT. We conducted secondary distress screening through HADS in 229 patients who had high scores of DT.
RESULTS
Of the 499 participants, 270 patients with low scores of DT were included in the distress education program. 229 patients with high scores of DT received secondary distress screening through HADS. Among 115 patients with low scores of HADS, 111 patients received distress management. Among 114 patients with high scores in the secondary distress screening, 38 patients received psychiatric consultation service whereas 76 patients refused psychiatric consultation.
CONCLUSION
Using consecutive screening for psychosocial distress appeared to be feasible in an inpatient oncology setting. Nevertheless, the low participation rate of psychiatric consultation service in cancer patients with high distress level should be improved.

Keyword

Psychosocial distress; Screening; Cancer; Feasibility; Hospitalization

MeSH Terms

Anxiety
Depression
Diagnosis
Education
Hospitalization
Humans
Inpatients
Mass Screening*
Seoul
Thermometers