Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T19:11:34.027Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Depression and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Diagnostic Investigations for Head and Neck Cancers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 January 2018

A. D. M. Davies ,
C. Davies  and
M. C. Delpo
A. D. M. Davies*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, PO Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX
C. Davies
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, PO Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX
M. C. Delpo
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, PO Box 147, Liverpool L69 3BX
*
Correspondence
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

Patients attending a regional head and neck Oncology Unit were assessed for depression and anxiety (using the Leeds self-assessment scales) before diagnostic biopsy investigations. At the time of the assessments, neither patients nor investigators knew the biopsy results. Patients whose biopsies subsequently proved positive (showing the presence of a tumour) had significantly higher depression scores than those whose biopsies were negative. Differences in mean anxiety scores did not differ between groups. It is suggested that depression is part of the clinical picture of head and neck cancer.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 149 , Issue 4 , October 1986 , pp. 491 - 493
Copyright
Copyright © 1986 The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

American Psychiatric Association (1980) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (3rd ed.) (DSM-III). Washington DC: APA.Google Scholar
Brown, J. H. & Paraskevas, F. (1982) Cancer and depression. Cancer presenting with depressive illness: an autoimmune disease? British Journal of Psychiatry, 141, 227–232.Google Scholar
DelPo, M. C. (1985) To tell or not to tell: a psychological assessment of increased biopsy patient recall. M A Dissertation, University of Liverpool.Google Scholar
Feinstein, A. D. (1983) Psychological interventions in the treatment of cancer. Clinical Psychology Review, 3, 1–14.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. (1978) Manual of the General Health Questionnaire. Windsor: National Foundation for Education Research.Google Scholar
Greer, S. & Silberfarb, P. M. (1982) Psychological concomitants of cancer: current state of research. Psychological Medicine, 12, 563–573.Google Scholar
Maguire, P. (1984) The recognition and treatment of affective disorder in cancer patients. International Review of Applied Psychology, 33, 479–491.Google Scholar
Manos, N. & Christakis, J. (1985) Coping with cancer: psychological dimensions. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia, 72, 1–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Massie, M. J. & Holland, J. C. (1984) Diagnosis and treatment of depression in the cancer patient. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 45, 25–28.Google Scholar
Morton, R. P., Davies, A. D. M., Baker, J., Baker, G. & Stell, P. M. (1984) Quality of life in treated head and neck cancer patients: preliminary report. Clinical Oto-rhino-laryngology, 9, 181–185.Google Scholar
Olson, M. L. & Shedd, D. P. (1978) Disability and rehabilitation in head and neck cancer patients after treatment. Head and Neck Surgery, 1, 52–58.Google Scholar
Snaith, R. P., Bridge, G. & Hamilton, M. (1976) The Leeds scale for the self assessment of anxiety and depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 128, 156–165.Google Scholar
Shedd, D. P., Carl, A. & Shedd, C. (1980) Problems of terminal head and neck cancer patients. Head and Neck Surgery, 2, 476–482.Google Scholar
Wellisch, D., Landsverk, J., Guidera, K., Pasnau, R. O. & Fawzy, F. (1983) Evaluation of psychosocial problems of the homebound cancer patient. Psychosomatic Medicine, 45, 11–21.Google Scholar
Zigmond, A. S. & Snaith, R. P. (1983) The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavia, 67, 361–370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.