title: Preoperative level of depression is a predictor of postoperative levels of depression in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Emotional distress is considered to be higher in patients with head and neck cancer than other types of cancer. The present study aimed to identify predictors of the postoperative levels of depression in patients with head and neck cancer who have undergone surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Postoperative levels of depression were assessed at 3, 6 and 12 months after surgery. The preoperative factors that were significant predictors of the postoperative level of depression at each time point were extracted using multiple regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The preoperative level of depression was a significant predictor of the postoperative level of depression at the 3rd, 6th and 12th postoperative months. At the sixth postoperative month, negative adjustment to cancer at baseline was also a significant predictor of the postoperative level of depression.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evaluating the level of depression and negative adjustment before surgery is considered to be effective for identifying patients who will develop depression after surgery.
authors: *Department of Psychiatry, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan. kimurahi@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp.
authors: Yasunori
authors: Y
authors: Adachi
authors: Hiroyuki
authors: H
authors: Kimura
authors: Naohiro
authors: N
authors: Sato
authors: Wataru
authors: W
authors: Nagashima
authors: Kouki
authors: K
authors: Nakamura
authors: Branko
authors: B
authors: Aleksic
authors: Keizo
authors: K
authors: Yoshida
authors: Yasushi
authors: Y
authors: Fujimoto
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Nakashima
authors: Norio
authors: N
authors: Ozaki
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology; D001828:Body Image; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011184:Postoperative Period; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D057234:Preoperative Period; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000209:etiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: depression; esthetics; head and neck neoplasms; psychological adaptation; reconstructive surgical procedures