title: The Psychosocial Distress Questionnaire-Breast Cancer (PDQ-BC) is a useful instrument to screen psychosocial problems.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, the Psychosocial Distress Questionnaire-Breast Cancer (PDQ-BC), a screening instrument specific for patients with early-stage breast cancer, was developed. The aim of this study was to further examine the psychometric properties of the PDQ-BC, in particular the subscales social support, sexual problems and financial problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Before patients received treatment (N = 123), they completed the PDQ-BC, the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-100) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Floor effects were present in 44% of the subscales, whereas ceiling effects were only found in the social support subscale (11%). The PDQ-BC subscales social support, sexual problems and financial problems were highly correlated with the corresponding WHOQOL-100 facets social support, sexual activity and financial resources. Furthermore, the subscale depressive symptoms (PDQ-BC) was highly significantly correlated with the CES-D. Low correlations were found between the PDQ-BC subscales and questionnaires that were expected to be unrelated. Exceptions are the subscales trait anxiety and state anxiety, which had a high correlation with the CES-D. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the subscales trait anxiety, state anxiety, depressive symptoms, body image and physical problems ranged from 0.70 to 0.87. Social problems had a low consistency (0.39). Corrected item-total correlations confirmed the PDQ-BC structure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PDQ-BC has expected floor effects, few ceiling effects and sufficient internal consistency. Furthermore, the construct validity on the PDQ-BC subscales social support, sexual problems and financial problems was good. Thus, the PDQ-BC can be used to screen psychosocial problems in patients with early-stage breast cancer as part of routine care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, St. Elisabeth Hospital, P.O. Box 90151, 5000 LC, Tilburg, The Netherlands. m.bogaarts@elisabeth.nl
authors.forename: Mirjam P J
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Bogaarts
authors.forename: Brenda L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Den Oudsten
authors.forename: Jan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Roukema
authors.forename: Johanna M G H
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Van Riel
authors.forename: Laurens V
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Beerepoot
authors.forename: Jolanda
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Vries
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005382:Financing, Personal; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology