title: Psychiatric disorders and background characteristics of cancer patients' family members referred to psychiatric consultation service at National Cancer Center Hospitals in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Psychological distress of cancer patients' family members is treated by psychiatric consultation service for outpatients at National Cancer Center Hospitals in Japan. The purpose of this study was to identify psychiatric disorders and explore background characteristics of cancer patients' family members referred to psychiatric consultation service, so that we could better understand current utilization of this psychiatric consultation service for cancer patients' family members.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective descriptive study using clinical practice data obtained for 5 years (from January 2000 to December 2004) was conducted at two National Cancer Center Hospitals. We reviewed the psychiatric consultation database, computerized patient database of the National Cancer Center Hospitals, and medical charts of cancer patients' family members who were referred to psychiatry and their cancer patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of a total of 4992 psychiatric consultations, 118 (2%) were for cancer patients' family members. The most common psychiatric disorders among cancer patients' family members were adjustment disorders (n = 69, 58%), followed by major depression (n = 30, 25%). Female (n = 101, 86%), spouse (n = 87, 74%), married (n = 92, 78%), and housewife (n = 63, 53%) were the most common background characteristics of the family members. Sixty-four percent of cancer patients (n = 75) were hospitalized at the time of their family members' referral and 34% of cancer patients (n = 40) had already received psychiatric consultation service and 55% of cancer patients (n = 65) had delivered bad news prior to their family members' referral.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found that very few family members were provided with psychiatric consultation service at two National Cancer Center Hospitals. Adjustment disorders are suggested to be the most common psychiatric disorders among cancer patients' family members.
authors.affiliation: Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Mariko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akechi
authors.forename: Tomohito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Shino
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Umezawa
authors.forename: Nobuya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akizuki
authors.forename: Yosuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uchitomi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008605:Mental Health Services; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies