Victims of physical abuse among patients with cancer referred to psychiatric clinic in a cancer center hospital: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
Physical abuse is one of the most important public health problems, but little is known about physical abuse of cancer patients. The objects of this study are (1) to identify whether cancer patients have sustained physical abuse; (2) to explore clinical characteristics of the abused patients.


METHODS
We reviewed 584 cancer patients referred to our psychiatry clinic by a cancer center hospital and investigated whether there were victims of physical abuse among these patients. We also investigated psychiatric characteristics of the abused patients.


RESULTS
Of these 584 patients, three patients were recognized as victims of physical abuse at the time of referral. The perpetrator of physical abuse was their husband (domestic violence) in all three cases. All three patients had sustained physical abuse from their husbands for years before being diagnosed with cancer. In addition to physical abuse, all three patients had sustained emotional abuse (e.g., threat or intimidation) from their husbands. Psychiatric diagnoses of all three patients fulfilled the DSM-IV criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and the traumatic event was mainly physical abuse by their husbands.


CONCLUSIONS
Oncologists and psychiatrists should pay greater attention to the psychosocial and environmental problems of cancer patients and inquire about the presence of physical abuse in suspected cases. Medical staff should also know that early multidisciplinary interventions in addition to cancer treatments are needed for victims of physical abuse among cancer patients and that these interventions are necessary to improve compliance with treatment and proper decision making.
Onishi
Hideki
H
Department of Psychiatry, Kanagawa Pref. Cancer Center, 1-1-2 Nakao, Asahi-ku, Yokohama 241-0815, Japan. h-onishi@jg7.so-net.ne.jp
Sairenji
Motonori
M
Yamashita
Kosuke
K
Shimizu
Shirabe
S
Onose
Masanari
M
Mizuno
Yasuhiro
Y
Kawanishi
Chiaki
C
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003156:Community Mental Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015897:Comorbidity; D019548:Crime Victims; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000451:nursing; D016522:Oncology Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000453:epidemiology*