title: Patient's perceived need and psychological distress and/or quality of life in ambulatory breast cancer patients in Japan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A needs assessment can be used as a direct index of what patients perceive they need help with. The purposes of this study were to investigate the association between patients' perceived needs and psychological distress and/or quality of life (QOL) and to clarify the characteristics of patients with a high degree of unmet needs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomly selected ambulatory female patients with breast cancer participated in this study. The patients were asked to complete the Short-form Supportive Care Needs Survey questionnaire, which covers five domains of need (health system and information, psychological, physical, care and support, and sexuality needs); the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C 30.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete data were available for 408 patients. The patients' needs were significantly associated with both psychological distress (r=0.63, p<0.001) and QOL (r=-0.52, p<0.001). A multiple regression analysis revealed that employment status (without full-time /part-time job), duration since diagnosis (less than 6 months), advanced stage, and a lower performance status were significantly associated with higher total needs. Only sexuality needs were significantly associated with a younger age, while the other domains were significantly associated with duration since diagnosis, advanced stage, and a lower performance status.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moderate to strong associations exist between patients' needs and psychological distress and/or QOL. The characteristics associated with patients' needs are multi-factorial, and interventions to respond to patients' needs may be one possible strategy for ameliorating psychological distress and enhancing QOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Mizuho-cho, Mizuho-ku, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. takechi@med.nagoya-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tatsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akechi
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okuyama
authors.forename: Chiharu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sagawa
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Uchida
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakaguchi
authors.forename: Terukazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akazawa
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toyama
authors.forename: Toshiaki A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Furukawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires