Acute Stress Disorder Following Diagnosis of Cancer

Abstract

We conducted a study to examine prevalence, predictors, and concomitants of acute stress disorder (ASD) following diagnosis of cancer among 89 patients. In addition to other measures, each participant completed the Stanford Acute Stress Reaction Questionnaire (SASRQ). One-third (33%) of the sample met all ASD symptom criteria. Significantly more women than men met criteria for ASD. For women, predictors for ASD symptoms included being of a younger age, having no prior life-threatening illness, perceiving less social support from friends, and reporting less satisfaction with how the diagnosis got communicated to them. A statistical trend was evident between higher religious/spiritual commitment and fewer ASD symptoms. For men, no factors were significantly related to ASD symptoms. Overall among cancer patients, those who met symptom criteria for ASD reported significantly more impulsive spending, desire to run away to avoid contact with people, giving away personal belongings, thinking about suicide, and forgetting medical information following cancer diagnosis than did cancer patients who did not meet criteria for ASD.