title: Psychological and symptom distress in terminal cancer patients with met and unmet needs.
abstract: This study identified the needs of terminal cancer patients, investigated the factors associated with unmet needs, and assessed psychological and symptom distress associated with unsolved needs. Ninety-four patients were randomly selected from 324 patients admitted for palliative care in 13 Italian centers. Two self-administered questionnaires (the Symptom Distress Scale and the Psychological Distress Inventory) were administered to all the patients. Patients needs were identified using a semi-structured interview, aimed at exploring five areas: physiological needs, safety needs, love and belonging needs, self-esteem needs, self-fulfillment needs. A content analysis of the answers defined 11 needs, and identified patients with unmet needs. The most frequent unmet needs were symptom control (62.8%), occupational functioning (62.1%), and emotional support (51.7%). The less frequently reported needs were those related to personal care (14.6%), financial support (14.1%), and emotional closeness (13.8%). Low functional state was significantly associated with a high proportion of patients with unmet needs of personal care, information, communication, occupational functioning, and emotional closeness. Patients with unmet needs showed significantly higher psychological and symptom distress for most needs. This study provides some suggestions about the concerns that should be carefully considered during the late stage of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Servizio di Psicologia, Istituto Nazionale per la Ricerca sul Cancro, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morasso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Capelli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Viterbori
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Di Leo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alberisio
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costantini
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Saccani
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zeitler
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Verzolatto
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tirelli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lazzari
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Partinico
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borzoni
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Savian
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Obertino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zotti
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Ivaldi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Henriquet
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000523:psychology*; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology*