Psychological distress and coping in nasopharyngeal cancer: an explorative study in Western Europe

Ada Ghiggia, Lorys Castelli, Giuseppe Riva, Valentina Tesio, Erica Provenzano, Mattia Ravera, Massimiliano Garzaro, Giancarlo Pecorari, Pierfrancesco Franco, Ilenia Potenza, Monica Rampino, Riccardo Torta

Risultato della ricerca: Contributo su rivistaArticolo in rivistapeer review

Abstract

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is the head and neck cancer with the greatest impact on patients’ quality of life. The aim of this explorative study is to investigate the psychological distress, coping strategies and quality of life of NPC patients in the post-treatment observation period. Twenty-one patients disease-free for at least two years were assessed with a medical and a psycho-oncological evaluation. Clinically relevant depressive symptoms (CRD) were present in 23.8% of patients and 33.3% reported clinically relevant anxiety symptoms (CRA). Patients with CRD and CRA showed a significantly higher score in the use of hopelessness/helplessness and anxious preoccupation coping strategies and a worse quality of life. Even in the post-treatment period, about a quarter of patients showed CRD and CRA. Results showed that patients with high anxiety or depressive symptoms seem to use dysfunctional coping strategies, such as hopelessness and anxious preoccupation, more than patients with lower levels of anxiety and depression. The use of these styles of coping thus seems to be associated to a higher presence of CRA or CRD symptomatology and to a worse quality of life.

Lingua originaleInglese
pagine (da-a)449-461
Numero di pagine13
RivistaPsychology, Health and Medicine
Volume22
Numero di pubblicazione4
DOI
Stato di pubblicazionePubblicato - 21 apr 2017
Pubblicato esternamente

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