Performance status 1 predicts psychological response in female, but not male, ambulatory cancer patients.
This study aimed to identify gender differences in the impact of performance status (PS) 1, that is, of physically mild impairment, on psychological distress and coping in ambulatory cancer patients. The subjects were 260 male and 242 female cancer outpatients who participated in a structured interview and completed the Profile of Mood States and the Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale. Multivariate analyses controlling for confounding biomedical and psychosocial variables revealed a significant impact of PS 1 on helplessness/hopelessness and a trend toward an impact on fighting spirit in women alone, whereas a trend was observed in regard to psychological distress in both genders. The results of this study suggest that PS 1 may be a risk factor for negative ways of coping in female, but not male, cancer outpatients.
Taniguchi
Koji
K
Psycho-Oncology Division, National Cancer Center Research Institute East, Kashiwanoha 6-5-1, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan.
Akechi
Tatsuo
T
Suzuki
Shimako
S
Mihara
Motoyuki
M
Uchitomi
Yosuke
Y
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012737:Sex Factors