Associations between quality of life, coping styles, optimism, and anxiety and depression in pretreatment patients with head and neck cancer

• Published in: Head & neck Vol. 33; no. 1; pp. 65 - 71
• Main Authors: Horney, Debbie J., Smith, Helen E., McGurk, Mark, Weinman, John, Herold, Jim, Altman, Keith, Llewellyn, Carrie D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hoboken Wiley Subscription Services, Inc., A Wiley Company 01.01.2011; Wiley
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Affect; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; anxiety; Anxiety Disorders - diagnosis; Anxiety Disorders - epidemiology; Anxiety Disorders - psychology; Attitude to Health; Biological and medical sciences; Chi-Square Distribution; Combined Modality Therapy; Comorbidity; coping; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depressive Disorder - diagnosis; Depressive Disorder - epidemiology; Depressive Disorder - psychology; Emotions; Female; head and neck cancer; Head and Neck Neoplasms - diagnosis; Head and Neck Neoplasms - mortality; Head and Neck Neoplasms - pathology; Head and Neck Neoplasms - psychology; Head and Neck Neoplasms - therapy; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Mood disorders; Neck Dissection - psychology; Neoplasm Staging; optimism; Otorhinolaryngology (head neck, general aspects and miscellaneous); Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology; Preoperative Care - methods; Prognosis; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of Life; Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; Risk Assessment; Surveys and Questionnaires; Survival Analysis; Treatment Outcome; Tumors; Young Adult; Mood disorder; Human; Depressions; Stomatology; optimism; Depression; ENT; Malignant tumor; Quality of life; Association; ENT disease; Head and neck cancer; Anxiety; Coping; Pretreatment; Cancer
• ISSN: 1043-3074; 1097-0347
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.21407

Background Head and neck cancer is often diagnosed at a late stage and consequently radical treatment is necessary. The pretreatment phase is a time of high anxiety and depression for patients. This study aimed to investigate whether anxiety and depression are related to quality of life, coping styles, and dispositional optimism. Methods One hundred and three patients were recruited after diagnosis to a questionnaire study. Measures included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; SF12v2 Health Survey; Brief COPE, and the Revised Life Orientation Test. Results Quality of life, in particular emotional role explained a large proportion of the variance in pretreatment anxiety and depression. In addition, the use of negative coping styles was related to high anxiety levels and low levels of optimism were related to higher levels of depression. Conclusion There are a small but significant proportion of pretreatment patients that may benefit from individualized support. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2011