title: Personality variables as predictors of early non-metastatic colorectal cancer patients' psychological distress and health-related quality of life: a one-year prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We aimed to assess the course of early non-metastatic colorectal cancer patients' psychological distress and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and to identify relevant clinical and psychological predictors during a one-year period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of the 144 early non-metastatic colorectal cancer patients initially assessed for psychological distress symptoms (SCL-90-R), HRQOL (WHOQOL-BREF), sense of coherence (SOC), defense mechanisms (LSI) and hostility (HDHQ), 84 (58.3%) completed the one-year follow-up. Mean (SD) age was 65.1 (9.8) years and 67.4% were male. Mean (SD) disease duration was 1.7 (2.2) years, with 49.3% being diagnosed within the last six months. In 75.0% the site was at colon and in 25.0% at rectum; 2.1% had stage I, 59.0% stage II and 38.9% stage III disease.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Paranoid ideation, psychoticism, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety and depressive symptoms increased significantly over the one-year period of the study and most of the HRQOL components were significantly decreased over the same period. Men were at greater risk for further developing depressive symptomatology. Low SOC was independent predictor of depression, while hostility independently predicted anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity and psychoticism symptoms. General psychological distress and low SOC were independent predictors of HRQOL, while repression was also an independent predictor of Physical HRQOL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In early non-metastatic colorectal cancer patients, psychological distress symptoms are increased and HRQOL is decreased over one-year period. Symptoms of psychological distress are strong predictors of HRQOL, while personality variables can also predict psychological distress symptoms' increase and HRQOL decrease over time, and this could be relevant to psychological interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. tyfantis@cc.uoi.gr
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hyphantis
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Paika
authors.forename: Augoustina
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almyroudi
authors.forename: Eleftherios O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Kampletsas
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pavlidis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires