We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
The role of physical and psychological symptoms in desire for death: a study of terminally ill cancer patients.
- Authors
Mystakidou, Kyriaki; Parpa, Efi; Katsouda, Emmanuela; Galanos, Antonis; Vlahos, Lambros
- Abstract
The current study assessed the attitudes of the desire for hastened death in terminally ill cancer patients and whether these are determined by their physical and psychological symptoms. The final sample consisted of 106 terminally ill cancer patients attending a Palliative Care Unit, in University of Athens, Greece, between June and October 2004. Significant associations were found between the desire for hastened death (D.H.D.) and ‘pain’ (r=0.469, p<0.005), ‘fatigue’ (r=0.591, p<0.0005), ‘loss of appetite’ (r=0.622, p<0.0005) and ‘feeling sad’ (r=0.635, p<0.0005). Statistically significant associations were also found between Schedule of Attitudes towards Hastened Death (SAHD) scores, age (r=0.300, p=0.002) and ECOG (p<0.0005). Twenty-six percent of the patients reported high D.H.D. while 41% reported moderate desire. In the prediction of SHAD the contribution of ‘pain’ (p=0.011), ‘lack of appetite’ (p=0.012) and ‘sadness’ (p=0.011) is high (42% of variance). Further findings suggest that D.H.D. is significantly related to ‘feeling sad’, ‘lack of appetite’, ‘pain’ and ‘fatigue’ after controlling for age, gender and performance status according to ECOG in terminally ill cancer patients. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
- Subjects
CANCER patients; TERMINALLY ill; PATIENTS; DEATH; PALLIATIVE treatment
- Publication
Psycho-Oncology, 2006, Vol 15, Issue 4, p355
- ISSN
1057-9249
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1002/pon.972