title: Trajectories of psychological distress in adolescent and young adult patients with cancer: a 1-year longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine prevalence and changes in symptoms of psychological distress over 1 year after initial cancer diagnosis in adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer. Sociodemographic and clinical predictors of changes in distress were examined.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this multisite, longitudinal, prospective study of an ethnically diverse sample, 215 patients age 14 to 39 years were assessed for psychological distress within the first 4 months of diagnosis and again 6 and 12 months later. Linear mixed models with random intercept and slope estimated changes in distress, as measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 (BSI-18).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Within the first 4 months of diagnosis, 60 respondents (28%) had BSI-18 scores suggesting caseness for distress. On average, distress symptoms exceeded population norms at the time of diagnosis, dipped at the 6-month follow-up, but increased to a level exceeding population norms at the 12-month follow-up. A statistically significant decline in distress over 1 year was observed; however, the gradient of change was not clinically significant. Multivariate analyses revealed that the reduction in distress over time was primarily a function of being off treatment and involved in school or work. Notably, cancer type or severity was not associated with distress.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings emphasize the importance of early psychosocial intervention for distress in AYAs as well as the need to manage treatment-related symptoms and facilitate AYAs' involvement in work or school to the extent possible. Continued research is needed to understand how distress relates to quality of life, functional outcomes, treatment, and symptom burden throughout the continuum of care.
authors: University of Michigan School of Social Work, 1080 S University, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1106, USA. mykwak@umich.edu
authors: Minyoung
authors: M
authors: Kwak
authors: Brad J
authors: BJ
authors: Zebrack
authors: Kathleen A
authors: KA
authors: Meeske
authors: Leanne
authors: L
authors: Embry
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Aguilar
authors: Rebecca
authors: R
authors: Block
authors: Brandon
authors: B
authors: Hayes-Lattin
authors: Yun
authors: Y
authors: Li
authors: Melissa
authors: M
authors: Butler
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Cole
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D017741:Survivors; D055815:Young Adult