The suitability of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Distress Thermometer and other instruments to screen for psychiatric disorders in both lung cancer patients and their partners.
Lung cancer patients and their partners report high rates of distress. Although distress is of importance, psychiatric disorders might be more important in terms of prognostic value and additional psychological treatment. This study examined the suitability of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Distress Thermometer (DT), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and State subscale of State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-S) to screen for psychiatric disorders in lung cancer patients and partners.



A consecutive sample of lung cancer patients and partners completed the screening instruments. The Structured Clinical Interview DSM-IV (SCID-I) was used to diagnose psychiatric axis I disorders.



In 144 patients, overall ability of HADS total score (HADS-T) screening for patients with psychiatric disorders was good, whereas DT appeared less suitable. In 98 partners, the performance of HADS-T was good. Although no instrument was successful in identifying psychiatric disorders, HADS-T came closest with a fair performance in patients and partners.



Several patients and partners declined participation because they perceived participation as too distressing. As decliners possibly have the highest rates of disorders, our findings might underestimate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders. A low prevalence negatively affects the positive predictive value and complicates efficient screening for psychiatric disorders.



The HADS-T appears to be a suitable screening instrument for ruling out those lung cancer patients and partners without a psychiatric disorder. Regarding identifying those with a psychiatric disorder, HADS-T should be used to refer both patients and partners for further diagnostics and treatment to a psychiatrist/psychologist.
Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: melanie.schellekens@radboudumc.nl.
Melanie P J
MPJ
Schellekens
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Desiree G M
DGM
van den Hurk
Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Judith B
JB
Prins
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Johan
J
Molema
Department of Pulmonary Diseases, Radboud University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Miep A
MA
van der Drift
Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Anne E M
AEM
Speckens
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D013821:Thermometers
Distress Thermometer; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; Lung cancer; Partners; Psychiatric disorder; Screening