Psychology Commons^™

Breast Cancer Patients' Preferences For Information: Different Sources At Different Times?, Christopher Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Introduction: Information given to breast cancer patients may not universally reduce anxiety and assist treament compliance. One possible reason could be that patient preferences for specific information sources may change over time.Objectives: To compare breast cancer patients' preferred formats for receiving education about their disease and treatment soon after diagnosis versus about two years after that time.Methods: An anonymous survey of 253 breast cancer patients' evaluations of alternative information formats was conducted within one month of diagnosis, and data were compared to those collected in a previous study from patients who were abut two years post-diagnosis.Results: There were discrepancies between …

Variability In Anxiety And Depression Over Time Following Diagnosis In Patients With Prostate Cancer, Christoper Sharpley, David Christie, Vicki Bitsika

Vicki Bitsika

To determine the presence and nature of variability in anxiety and depression in patients with prostate cancer (PCa) over 3 years following diagnosis, 442 patients with PCa completed standardized anxiety and depression inventories via survey between 1 and 36 months after receiving their initial diagnosis. Data were analyzed from a series of 3-month cohorts, and results indicated that total scores and incidence of clinically significant anxiety and depression varied over time, but that this variability was restricted to specific subfactors of anxiety and depression. Provision of effective psychological treatment to patients with PCa is discussed.

Incidence And Nature Of Anxiety-Depression Comorbidity In Prostate Cancer Patients, Christoper Sharpley, Vicki Bitsika, David Christie

Vicki Bitsika

Background: The aim of this study was to measure the incidence of anxiety-depression comorbidity among a sample of prostate cancer (PCa) patients and to investigate the total score, factor score and scale item differences across subgroups defined according to the presence of anxiety and/or depression. Methods: 491 PCa patients who had received their initial diagnosis between 1 and 113 months previously completed a survey of background variables, as well as the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety and Depression Scales (SAS, SDS). Results: Incidence of anxiety-depression comorbidity was nearly 16%, and higher than that previously reported in other samples. Although the directional differences …

Perceived Health In Lung Cancer Patients: The Role Of Positive And Negative Affect, Jameson K. Hirsch, Andrea R. Floyd, Paul R. Duberstein

ETSU Faculty Works

Purpose: To examine the association of affective experience and health-related quality of life in lung cancer patients, we hypothesized that negative affect would be positively, and positive affect would be negatively, associated with perceived health.

Methods: A sample of 133 English-speaking lung cancer patients (33% female; mean age = 63.68 years old, SD = 9.37) completed a battery of self-report surveys.

Results: Results of our secondary analysis indicate that trait negative affect was significantly associated with poor physical and social functioning, greater role limitations due to emotional problems, greater bodily pain, and poor general health. Positive affect was significantly associated …

Predictive Referral Pattterns For Hospice Care Based On Patient And Physician Characteristics , Kristin Berggren

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

No abstract provided.

Bibliotherapy's Effect On Anxiety In Children With Cancer , Nicole Schneider

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

No abstract provided.

Assessing Numeracy In Oncology: The Role Of Patient Perception And Preferences, Jennifer Kilkus Poe

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Treatment decision making (TDM) in oncology is complex. Understanding treatment information is essential for shared TDM. Research suggests many patients have low numeracy. This mixed methods study explored numeracy and experience with numbers in a sample of individuals diagnosed with follicular lymphoma. Participants completed questionnaires (N = 32) and interviews (N = 20) assessing numeracy, decisional conflict and regret, and number preference. Results suggest that mean objective numeracy was relatively high, and most reported high confidence in numerical ability. Most participants preferred to receive numbers during the TDM process. There was no relationship between numeracy and decision outcomes. Future research …