Kreitler S, Chaitchik S, Rapoport Y, Algor R
Department of Psychology, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.
J Cancer Educ. 1995 Fall;10(3):144-54. doi: 10.1080/08858199509528358.
This study examined the psychosocial effects of levels of information available to patients and compared them with those of disease severity. A questionnaire with multiple-choice and open-ended questions assessing quality of life in various domains (e.g., fears and worries, functioning in the family) and scales assessing anxiety, anger, and depression were administered to patients and their partners or closest relatives. The subjects were 55 head-and-neck cancer patients (40 men and 15 women) in disease stages I to IV, grades of tumors G1 to G3-4, with disease durations ranging from three months to 21 years. They were divided into three groups on the basis of the amounts of information they had about their disease and prognosis, and again on the basis of disease severity, based on stages and patients' evaluations. The numbers of psychosocial variables differentiating significantly between the groups deviated significantly from chance in both groupings. The results showed more effects for information than for disease severity. The highly informed were better adjusted in interpersonal relations and had more intimacy with family, but had more fears, anxiety, changes in their lives, worries about health, and concern with physical symptoms. The reports of partners were fewer and lent some support to those of patients. Disease severity affected mostly fears, anxiety, and worries about health.
本研究考察了患者可获得信息水平的心理社会影响，并将其与疾病严重程度的影响进行比较。向患者及其伴侣或近亲发放了一份包含多项选择题和开放式问题的问卷，以评估各个领域的生活质量（如恐惧和担忧、家庭功能），以及评估焦虑、愤怒和抑郁的量表。研究对象为55例头颈部癌症患者（40名男性和15名女性），疾病分期为I至IV期，肿瘤分级为G1至G3 - 4级，病程从3个月到21年不等。根据他们对自身疾病和预后的了解程度，将他们分为三组，又根据疾病严重程度（基于分期和患者评估）再次分组。在这两种分组方式中，各分组之间有显著差异的心理社会变量数量均显著偏离随机水平。结果显示，信息的影响比疾病严重程度的影响更大。了解信息较多的患者在人际关系中调适得更好，与家人关系更亲密，但恐惧、焦虑、生活变化、对健康的担忧以及对身体症状的关注更多。伴侣的报告较少，对患者的报告有一定支持作用。疾病严重程度主要影响恐惧、焦虑和对健康的担忧。
