title: Screening of distress among hospitalized patients in a department of internal medicine.
abstract: A psychosomatic approach to the basic screening of distress for patient care in hospitals and other health services is presented. The aims of this study were to verify association between: (1) medical illnesses and distress; (2) patients' needs and distress; (3) type of illness and patients' needs; (4) patients' needs and sense of coherence. One hundred and eighty-nine patients (78 F and 111 M, average age 65 years±8.43) were assessed by self-report questionnaires. We found that higher anxiety and/or depression levels were associated with urogenital (p=0.026), rheumatologic (p=0.006), oncological (p=0.011), neurological (p=0.026) and respiratory (p=0.013) illnesses. Higher distress scoring was associated with rheumatologic illnesses (p=0.024) and illnesses of the liver and digestive system (p=0.037) while a higher severity of distress was associated with oncological illnesses (p=0.011). Depression/anxiety were associated with the need to speak to a psychologist (p=0.050), to a spiritual advisor (p=0.009), to be more reassured by relatives (p=0.017), to feel less abandoned (p=0.036). Only low sense of coherence was associated with the need for greater dialogue with physicians (p=0.012), the need to participate less in treatment decisions (p=0.041), the need to feel less left to one's own devices (p=0.023). Several needs are associated with medical illnesses. In conclusion, these results indicate that early psychological screening could be important to avoid worse or chronic distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosselli
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Vittoria
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Salimbeni
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Caterina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bessi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nesi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Daria
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Arboretti
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Elodie
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Migliorini
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Elvira
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Caterino
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parentini
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Generini
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zipoli
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto Giulio
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Romanelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosselli
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laffi
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. Electronic address: cristina.stasi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stasi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D055809:Illness Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D007388:Internal Medicine / Q000379:methods; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011386:Projective Techniques; D011580:Psychological Techniques; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Anxiety; Consultation–liaison psychiatry; Depression; Distress; Hospitalization