Characterizing anxiety in melanoma patients.
BACKGROUND
Over half of melanoma patients experience significantly elevated anxiety levels leading to psychological distress and delays in diagnosis and treatment.


OBJECTIVE
To identify melanoma patients likely to experience high levels of anxiety, we characterize the contributing factors and coping strategies and investigated potential anxiety-alleviating interventions.


METHODS
Surveys were sent to 94 melanoma patients at Women's College Hospital's Pigmented Lesion Clinic assessing self-reported anxiety, contributing factors, coping strategies, and potential assisting services.


RESULTS
Risk factors for anxiety include female gender (p=0.002) and increasing age (p=0.004) but not melanoma depth. Major factors contributing to anxiety are prognosis, fear of death, and the attitude of the diagnosing doctor. Major coping strategies include family support, doctor assistance, and self-distraction. Potentially useful services for decreasing anxiety include the provision of detailed information pamphlets.


CONCLUSIONS
Melanoma patients likely to experience high anxiety can be predicted and managed in ways that minimize the distress experienced.
Missiha
Sharif B
SB
Sunnybrook and Women's Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Solish
Nowell
N
From
Lynn
L
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires