title: The role of physical and psychological symptoms in desire for death: a study of terminally ill cancer patients.
abstract: The current study assessed the attitudes of the desire for hastened death in terminally ill cancer patients and whether these are determined by their physical and psychological symptoms. The final sample consisted of 106 terminally ill cancer patients attending a Palliative Care Unit, in University of Athens, Greece, between June and October 2004. Significant associations were found between the desire for hastened death (D.H.D.) and 'pain' (r=0.469, p<0.005), 'fatigue' (r=0.591, p<0.0005), 'loss of appetite' (r=0.622, p<0.0005) and 'feeling sad' (r=0.635, p<0.0005). Statistically significant associations were also found between Schedule of Attitudes towards Hastened Death (SAHD) scores, age (r=0.300, p=0.002) and ECOG (p<0.0005). Twenty-six percent of the patients reported high D.H.D. while 41% reported moderate desire. In the prediction of SHAD the contribution of 'pain' (p=0.011), 'lack of appetite' (p=0.012) and 'sadness' (p=0.011) is high (42% of variance). Further findings suggest that D.H.D. is significantly related to 'feeling sad', 'lack of appetite', 'pain' and 'fatigue' after controlling for age, gender and performance status according to ECOG in terminally ill cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, Department of Radiology, Areteion Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, 27 Korinthias Str., 115 26 Athens, Greece. mistakidou@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mystakidou
authors.forename: Efi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parpa
authors.forename: Emmanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katsouda
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galanos
authors.forename: Lambros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vlahos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001293:Attitude to Death; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology*; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010166:Palliative Care; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires