Subjective psychological stress and need for psychosocial support in cancer patients during radiotherapy treatment

Abstract

Psychosocial distress and patient attitude towards psychosocial support as well as the correlations with clinical and sociodemographic characteristics should be assessed. The stress due to cancer was measured in a consecutive sample of tumor patients at the start of radiotherapy (n = 117) by use of the Hornheide Questionnaire. In addition, the interest of these patients in professional psychosocial support was assessed with the help of the Questionnaire for Psychosocial Support. Patients in the course of radiotherapy and patients with a poor prognosis and advanced disease were more strongly distressed. 32.7% of patients wished professional psychosocial support from the oncologist treating them, 40.6% of the patients wished support from the oncologist and additionally from a psychotherapist or social worker. Interest in professional psychosocial support correlated with the amount of distress, but not with sociodemographic variables. Results stress the importance of training programs for oncologists in order to improve their ability to detect psychosocial distress in cancer patients and to offer adequate emotional support to them.