title: An investigation of the effect of tailored information on symptoms of anxiety and depression in Head and Neck cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate if tailored information provision decreases symptoms of anxiety and depression in late stage Head and Neck (H&N) cancer patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  This non-randomized, controlled trial was conducted with stage III or IV H&N cancer patients. Subjects were recruited at two academic health centers in Montreal. At the test center, subjects received the Multimode Comprehensive Tailored Information Package (MCTIP), while at the control center, they received normal information provision. Participants were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) at baseline and 3 and 6 month later. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics then T tests and chi square tests to compare group differences and finally mixed model analysis to test differences in outcome variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 103 subjects were recruited and of them 96 (47 tests and 49 controls) participants completed baseline, 3 and 6 month evaluations. The test group experienced lower levels of anxiety (p = 0.001) and depression (p = 0.089) than the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The subjects receiving tailored information had lower levels of anxiety than their counterparts. In addition, depression showed a reduction in the expected direction in the test group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results need to be further confirmed using a randomized approach in different samples but they suggest benefits for stage III and IV H&N cancer patients receiving tailored, multi-modal information concerning their cancer.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, 3550 University St., Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 2B2. violet.dsouza@mail.mcgill.ca
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: D'Souza
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Blouin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zeitouni
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muller
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Allison
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D001296:Audiovisual Aids; D003196:Computer Graphics; D016208:Databases, Factual; D003863:Depression / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019212:Multimedia; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010174:Pamphlets; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000145:classification*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000517:prevention & control; D014584:User-Computer Interface; D014742:Videodisc Recording; D055815:Young Adult