title: Psychosocial factors associated with quality of life in allogeneic stem cell transplant patients prior to transplant.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The primary aim of this retrospective study was to determine levels of psychological distress and quality of life (QoL) immediately prior to allogeneic stem cell transplantation. The secondary aim was to examine the demographic, medical and psychosocial factors that were correlated with various QoL domains at this stage of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of measures was completed by 122 allograft patients as part of routine psychological assessment at the treating hospital prior to undergoing the transplant. These included the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale, the Brief Symptom Inventory-18 and the World Health Organisation Quality of Life-BREF. Demographic and medical data were also extracted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, 12% and 14% of the sample experienced significant levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. Half of the sample reported impaired physical QoL, whereas approximately 40% reported poor psychological and social QoL. Besides relationship status, the limited number of demographic (age and gender) and medical factors (disease status) tested did not contribute significantly to reported QoL. After controlling for medical and demographic factors, weaker Fighting Spirit and higher levels of depression (trend towards significance) were associated with poorer physical and social QoL.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The association among psychological distress, coping responses and QoL indicates that poor psychosocial functioning pre-transplant renders an increased likelihood of experiencing impaired QoL across various dimensions. It thus seems important that psychologically vulnerable patients are identified early in the treatment process. If psychosocial adjustment were improved, patients may experience better QoL pre-transplant with a potential subsequent influence on post-transplant outcomes.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology and Psychiatry, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Brindha
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pillay
authors.forename: Stuart J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Lynda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Katona
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Burney
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Avery
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008232:Lymphoproliferative Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
keywords: allogeneic stem cell transplant; cancer; coping; oncology; psychological distress; quality of life