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- Title
Factors associated with psychological distress and grief resolution in surviving spouses of patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer.
- Authors
Winterling J; Wasteson E; Arving C; Johansson B; Glimelius B; Nordin K; Winterling, Jeanette; Wasteson, Elisabet; Arving, Cecilia; Johansson, Birgitta; Glimelius, Bengt; Nordin, Karin
- Abstract
<bold>Goals Of Work: </bold>Patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancer often have a short survival time. This means that spouses only have a short time to adjust to the approaching death. The aim was to explore whether psychological distress at diagnosis, the course of the illness (anti-tumour treatment, respite period and survival time), the spouses' experience of the care and of losing a loved one were related to distress and grief resolution after the patient had deceased.<bold>Materials and Methods: </bold>Twenty-one spouses were followed prospectively from the patient's diagnosis of advanced gastrointestinal cancer to 6 months after the patient death. Spouses' experiences were measured with an interview, psychological distress with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and grief resolution with the Grief Resolution Index.<bold>Main Results: </bold>The spouses' anxiety at the time of diagnosis was related to their anxiety and grief resolution at follow-up. Two additional factors were associated with higher levels of anxiety at follow-up; the patient having received anti-tumour treatment and the spouse having experienced stress as a caregiver.<bold>Conclusions: </bold>The study indicates that anti-tumour treatment, though it has the potential to prolong life, does not positively influence spouses' psychological distress and bereavement after the death of the patient.
- Publication
Supportive Care in Cancer, 2010, Vol 18, Issue 11, p1377
- ISSN
0941-4355
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1007/s00520-009-0753-9