Validity of the Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form Psychological Subscales in Advanced Cancer Patients

• Published in: Journal of pain and symptom management Vol. 42; no. 5; pp. 761 - 767
• Main Authors: Webber, Katherine, MBBS, MRCP, Davies, Andrew N., MBBS, MSc, MD, FRCP
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Anesthesia & Perioperative Care; anxiety; Anxiety - epidemiology; Anxiety - etiology; Anxiety - psychology; Anxiety-Depression; Assessment tools; Biological and medical sciences; cancer; Cost of Illness; Cross-Sectional Studies; Depression; Depression - epidemiology; Depression - etiology; Depression - psychology; Disease Progression; England - epidemiology; Female; Hospitalization; Humans; Karnofsky Performance Status; Male; Medical sciences; Memorials; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Mood disorders; Neoplasms - epidemiology; Neoplasms - psychology; Neuropsychological Tests; Pain Medicine; palliative; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; Psychological distress; Psychological problems; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Quality of Life; Reproducibility of Results; Smoking; Symptoms; Terminally ill people; Young Adult; England; symptoms; anxiety; palliative; cancer; depression; Assessment tools; psychological distress; Mood disorder; Human; Affect affectivity; Evaluation; Depression; Malignant tumor; Symptomatology; Validity; Psychological distress; Advanced stage; Anxiety; Cancer
• ISSN: 0885-3924; 1873-6513
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2011.02.007

Abstract Context The Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale-Short Form (MSAS-SF) is designed to evaluate physical and psychological symptom burden in advanced cancer patients. There are no current data assessing the validity of the MSAS-SF psychological symptom scores when compared with anxiety and depression. Objectives This observational cross-sectional study was designed to determine the relationship between the MSAS-SF subscales and the presence of anxiety and depression. Methods Advanced cancer patients attending a U.K. oncology center completed the MSAS-SF and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Results One hundred twenty patients participated in the study. There was an association between the presence of anxiety and depression and the MSAS-SF global distress index. There was no association between the presence of anxiety and depression and the MSAS-SF physical symptom subscale. The MSAS-SF psychological symptom subscale was more closely correlated with anxiety than depression. Conclusion These results support the validity of the MSAS-SF global distress index and psychological subscales in the assessment of patients with anxiety and depressive disorders.