title: Preparatory grief, psychological distress and hopelessness in advanced cancer patients.
abstract: A study was undertaken to evaluate the preparatory grief process in advanced cancer patients and its relationship with hopelessness, depression and anxiety. In total, 94 advanced cancer patients treated in a Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit completed the Preparatory Grief in Advanced Cancer Patients (PGAC) Scale, the Greek Hospital Anxiety and Depression (G-HAD) scales, and a measure of hopelessness the Beck Hopelessness Scale. The strongest correlation was found between grief and hopelessness (r = 0.63, P < 0.0005) and PGAC-1 'self-consciousness' (r = 0.54, P < 0.0005). Similarly, strong associations revealed between PGAC total with anxiety (HAD-D) and depression (HAD-D) (P < 0.0005). Significant associations were depicted between hopelessness, depression and anxiety with PGAC-total as well as with its components. Statistically significant associations were also obtained between grief, metastases (P = 0.073) and education (P = 0.043). In the multiple regression analysis (enter method), anxiety (P < 0.0005) was the strongest predictor of preparatory grief followed by hopelessness (P = 0.002), presence of metastases (P = 0.004) and depression (P = 0.033). Depression, hopelessness, anxiety and terminally ill patients' metastases contribute to the prediction of preparatory grief in this population.
authors.affiliation: Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, Department of Radiology, Areteion Hospital, School of Medicine, University of Athens, Athens, Greece. mistakidou@yahoo.com
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mystakidou
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parpa
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsilika
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Athanasouli
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pathiaki
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Galanos
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pagoropoulou
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vlahos
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001293:Attitude to Death; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019452:Terminally Ill / Q000523:psychology