title: Psychological distress in cancer patients and their spouses.
abstract: The degree of psychosocial distress experienced by 15 cancer patients with newly diagnosed metastatic disease and their spouses was investigated. Of interest were mean changes over the six-month interval following diagnosis, and correlations between partners at 0, 3, and 6-7 months. The Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS) and the Family Environment Scale (FES) were used to quantify adjustment. Several PAIS subscales exhibited increasing distress over time for patients: Social Environment (p = 0.004), Vocational Environment (p = 0.028), and Psychological Distress (p = 0.029). FES Conflict increased over time (p < 0.005), while Intellectual Cultural Orientation declined (p = 0.02), both for spouses only. Of 24 patient-spouse PAIS correlations (7 subscales plus a global scale, at three times), 7 (29%) were 0.70 or greater (ps < 0.01). Of 30 FES correlations, 17 (57%) were 0.7 or higher (ps < 0.01). These results suggest that some stresses increase over time, and that spouses and patients share a similar perceived level of distress. Health professionals must address the psychological distress of the spouse as well as the patient.
authors: Medical College of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19129.
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Kaye
authors: E J
authors: EJ
authors: Gracely
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010361:Patients; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D013997:Time Factors