Dehghan Mahlagha, Hoseini Fatemeh Sadat, Zakeri Mohammad Ali
Nursing Research Center, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
School of Nursing and Midwifery, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran.
Front Psychiatry. 2022 May 17;13:871917. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.871917. eCollection 2022.
Cancer patients face various problems and complications, which they address through various complementary and alternative medicines (CAM). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between CAM and psychosomatic symptoms in terminally ill cancer patients.
This cross-sectional study was performed on 221 terminally ill cancer patients (based on metastatic stage and according to the physicin diagnosis) in southeastern Iran. Convenience sampling was used to select terminally ill cancer patients. Using questionnaires like the demographic and clinical information questionnaire, Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), CAM questionnaire and satisfaction with the use of CAM, the researcher was able to compile a comprehensive picture of the population.
The mean age of the participants was 51.66 ± 13.34 years. The majority of the samples were female, married, educated, and unemployed. The mean score for the physical symptoms of the participants according to ESAS was 22.25 ± 17.57 which was less than the midpoint of the scale (the possible score of ESAS was 0-100). Only 2.7% ( = 6) and 0.9% ( = 2) of the participants had mild and moderate anxiety, respectively, and the other participants' anxiety levels were normal. Only 7.7% ( = 17) and 4.1% ( = 9) of the participants had mild and moderate depression, respectively, and the other participants' depression levels were normal. Last year, 87.3% of the participants used at least one type of CAM. Aside from prayer, 42.1% of the participants used at least one type of CAM in the last year. Prayer was used by 83.7% of the participants, medicinal plants by 35.8%, massage by 9.5%, dietary supplements by 3.6%, wet cupping by 3.2%, relaxation and meditation by 2.7%, dry cupping by 2.4%, and acupuncture by 0.5%. The common reason for using CAM was to reduce the stress and anxiety caused by cancer and to treat it. There were no significant differences in physical and psychological symptoms between the CAM-users and non-CAM users.
Patients with cancer have a relatively low level of psychosomatic symptoms, and the primary reason for using CAM was to relieve stress and anxiety associated with cancer and treat it. However, psychosomatic symptoms were the same for CAM and non-CAM users. Because so many people with cancer use CAM, future studies should look into why and how CAM is used.
癌症患者面临各种问题和并发症，他们通过各种补充和替代医学（CAM）来应对。本研究的目的是调查晚期癌症患者中CAM与身心症状之间的关系。
本横断面研究对伊朗东南部221名晚期癌症患者（基于转移阶段并根据医生诊断）进行。采用便利抽样法选取晚期癌症患者。通过使用人口统计学和临床信息问卷、埃德蒙顿症状评估量表（ESAS）、医院焦虑抑郁量表（HADS）、CAM问卷以及对CAM使用的满意度问卷，研究人员能够全面了解该人群的情况。
参与者的平均年龄为51.66±13.34岁。大多数样本为女性、已婚、受过教育且无业。根据ESAS，参与者身体症状的平均得分为22.25±17.57，低于量表中点（ESAS的可能得分范围为0 - 100）。只有2.7%（=6）和0.9%（=2）的参与者分别有轻度和中度焦虑，其他参与者的焦虑水平正常。只有7.7%（=17）和4.1%（=9）的参与者分别有轻度和中度抑郁，其他参与者的抑郁水平正常。去年，87.3%的参与者使用了至少一种类型的CAM。除祈祷外，42.1%的参与者在去年使用了至少一种类型的CAM。83.7%的参与者使用了祈祷，35.8%使用了药用植物，9.5%使用了按摩，3.6%使用了膳食补充剂，3.2%使用了湿拔罐，2.7%使用了放松和冥想，2.4%使用了干拔罐，0.5%使用了针灸。使用CAM的常见原因是减轻癌症引起的压力和焦虑并进行治疗。CAM使用者和非CAM使用者在身体和心理症状方面没有显著差异。
癌症患者的身心症状水平相对较低，使用CAM的主要原因是缓解与癌症相关的压力和焦虑并进行治疗。然而，CAM使用者和非CAM使用者的身心症状相同。由于如此多的癌症患者使用CAM，未来的研究应探究使用CAM的原因和方式。
