Top

Published in:

01-05-2015 | Original Article

Psychological distress and need for psycho-oncological support in spouses of total laryngectomised cancer patients—results for the first 3 years after surgery

Authors: A. Meyer, J. Keszte, D. Wollbrück, A. Dietz, J. Oeken, H. J. Vogel, S. Koscielny, K. Breitenstein, E. F. Meister, F. Pabst, J. Schock, S. Bourkas, S. Singer

Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer | Issue 5/2015

Abstract

Purpose

A total laryngectomy (TLE) leads to a variety of functional restrictions, which reduce the quality of life of cancer patients as well as their spouses. However, to date, there is little research focusing on the psychological distress of spouses of total laryngectomised cancer patients. The current study assesses psychological distress, need for psycho-oncological treatment and use of professional psychological care among spouses of total laryngectomised cancer patients.

Methods

A prospective multi-centre cohort study was conducted. Participants were interviewed in person 1, 2 and 3 years subsequent to their spouses’ TLE with standardised questionnaires (HADS, Hornheide Screening) and self-designed items.

Results

One year after their partners’ TLE, 154 spouses were interviewed. Over half of spouses (57 %) reported a high level of psychological distress and 33 % reported restlessness. Majority of spouses (21 %) reported wanting to learn relaxation methods and eight (5 %) had received psychological treatment in the past. Sixty-two spouses took part in the complete study. Over all three time points, psychological distress, the need for psycho-oncological support and the use of professional support among spouses remained stable. The need for additional professional counselling was low.

Conclusions

In view of the stability of psychological distress among half of the spouses within 3 years after TLE and their refusal of professional support, there is a need for the development and evaluation of new treatment strategies to help spouses cope with psychological distress. Our results indicated the most common additional professional need was learning relaxation methods, which may be used as a starting point for the investigation of new coping strategies in future studies.

In the current study, we use the term spouses for partners as well as husbands and wives.

Ruf M, Büchi S, Moergeli H, Zwahlen RA, Jenewein J (2009) Positive personal changes in the aftermath of head and neck cancer diagnosis: a qualitative study in patients and their spouses. Head Neck 31:513–520. doi:10.1002/hed.21000 CrossRefPubMed

Keller M, Henrich G, Beutel M, Sellschopp A (1998) Mutual stress and support in couples with one cancer patient. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol 48:358–368PubMed

Singer S, Danker H, Guntinas−Lichius O, Oeken J, Pabst F, Schock J, Vogel H, Meister EF, Wulke C, Dietz A (2013) Quality of life before and after total laryngectomy: results of a multicenter prospective cohort study. Head Neck. doi:10.1002/hed.23305

Drabe N, Zwahlen D, Buchi S, Moergeli H, Zwahlen RA, Jenewein J (2008) Psychiatric morbidity and quality of life in wives of men with long-term head and neck cancer. Psycho-Oncology 17:199–204. doi:10.1002/pon.1199 CrossRefPubMed

Manne S, Babb J, Pinover W, Horwitz E, Ebbert J (2004) Psychoeducational group intervention for wives of men with prostate cancer. Psycho-Oncology 13:37–46. doi:10.1002/pon.724 CrossRefPubMed

Berrino F, De Angelis R, Sant M, Rosso S, Lasota MB, Coebergh JW, Santaquilani M (2007) Survival for eight major cancers and all cancers combined for European adults diagnosed in 1995–99: results of the EUROCARE-4 study. Lancet Oncol 773–783

Verdonck-de Leeuw IM, Eerenstein SE, Van der Linden MH, Kuik DJ, de Bree R, Leemans CR (2007) Distress in spouses and patients after treatment for head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope 117:238–241. doi:10.1097/01.mlg.0000250169.10241.58 CrossRefPubMed

Blood GW, Simpson KC, Dineen M, Kauffman SM, Raimondi SC (1994) Spouses of individuals with laryngeal cancer: caregiver strain and burden. J Commun Disord 27:19–35. doi:10.1016/0021-9924(94)90008-6 CrossRefPubMed

Zwahlen RA, Dannemann C, Grätz KW, Studer G, Zwahlen D, Moergeli H, Drabe N, Büchi S, Jenewein J (2008) Quality of life and psychiatric morbidity in patients successfully treated for oral cavity squamous cell cancer and their wives. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 66:1125–1132. doi:10.1016/j.joms2007.09.003 CrossRefPubMed

10.

Hodges LJ, Humphris GM (2009) Fear of recurrence and psychological distress in head and neck cancer patients and their carers. Psycho-Oncology 18:841–848. doi:10.1002/pon.1346 CrossRefPubMed

11.

Offerman MP, Schroevers MJ, van der Velden L-A, de Boer MF, Pruyn JF (2010) Goal processes & self-efficacy related to psychological distress in head & neck cancer patients and their partners. Eur J Oncol Nurs 14:231–237. doi:10.1016/j.ejon.2010.01.022 CrossRefPubMed

12.

Herranz J, Gavilan J (1999) Psychosocial adjustment after laryngeal cancer surgery. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 108:990–997CrossRefPubMed

13.

Meyer A, Wollbrück D, Täschner R, Singer S, Ehrensperger C, Danker H, Heim M, Schwarz R (2008) Psychisches Befinden und psychische Morbidität der Partner kehlkopfloser Karzinompatienten psychological status and morbidity of the spouses of laryngectomy patients. Zeitschrift für Klin Psychol Psychother 37:172–178. doi:10.1026/1616-3443.37.3.172 CrossRef

14.

Meyer A, Wollbrück D, Dietz A, Brähler E, Guntinas-Lichius O, Vogel HJ, Meister EF, Körner A, Singer S (2013) Psychische Morbidität bei Partnern kehlkopfloser Karzinompatienten: Womit hängt die Auftrittswahrscheinlichkeit zusammen? Psychological morbidity in spouses of laryngectomized cancer patients: factors related of the probability of its occurrence. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol 62:163–169. doi:10.1055/s-0032-1304583

15.

Jenewein J, Zwahlen RA, Zwahlen D, Drabe N, Moergeli H, Buchi S (2008) Quality of life and dyadic adjustment in oral cancer patients and their female partners. Eur J Cancer Care 17:127–135. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2354.2007.00817.x CrossRef

16.

Manne S, Badr H (2010) Intimacy processes and psychological distress among couples coping with head and neck or lung cancers. Psycho-Oncology 19:941–954. doi:10.1002/pon.1645 CrossRefPubMedCentralPubMed

17.

Zigmond AS, Snaith RP (1983) The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatr Scand 67:361–370. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x CrossRefPubMed

18.

Singer S, Danker H, Dietz A, Hornemann B, Koscielny S, Oeken J, Matthäus C, Vogel H, Krauß O (2008) Screening for mental disorders in laryngeal cancer patients: a comparison of 6 methods. Psycho-Oncology 17:280–286. doi:10.1002/pon.1229 CrossRefPubMed

19.

Hinz A, Schwarz R (2001) Angst und Depression in der Allgemeinbevölkerung. Anxiety and depression in the general population: standardised values of the hospital anxiety and depression scale. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol 51:193–200. doi:10.1055/s-2001-13279 CrossRefPubMed

20.

Katz MR, Kopek N, Waldron J, Devins GM, Tomlinson G (2004) Screening for depression in head and neck cancer. Psycho-Oncology 13:269–280. doi:10.1002/pon.734 CrossRefPubMed

21.

Strittmatter G, Tilkorn M, Mawick R (2002) How to identify patients in need of psychological intervention. In: Dummer R, Nestle FO, Burg G (eds) Cancers of the skin. Proceedings of the 8th World Congress, Springer, pp 353–361. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-59410-6_40 CrossRef

22.

Mathieson CM, Stam HJ, Scott JP (1991) The impact of a laryngectomy on the spouse: who is better off? Psychol Health 5:153–163. doi:10.1080/08870449108400418 CrossRef

23.

DiMatteo MR (2004) Social support and patient adherence to medical treatment: a meta-analysis. Health Psychol 23(2):207–218. doi:10.1037/0278-6133.23.2.207 CrossRefPubMed

24.

Kruse J, Herzog R (2013) Zwischenbericht zum Gutachten der “Zur ambulanten psychosomatischen/psychotherapeutischen Versorgung in der kassenärztlichen Versorgung in Deutschland – Formen der Versorgung und ihre Effizienz”. http://www.kbv.de/presse/40679.html. Accessed 31 March 2014

25.

Schreiber S, Ehrensperger C, Koscielny S, Boehm A, Kubitza W, Meister E, Pabst F, Vogel HJ, Oeken J, Dietz A (2013) Inanspruchnahme von Selbsthilfegruppen für Laryngektomierte in Mitteldeutschland. Use of cancer support groups by laryngectomees in Central Germany. Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie 92(2):97–101. doi:10.1055/s-0032-1329979 PubMed

26.

Albani C, Blaser G, Geyer M, Schmutzer G, Goldschmidt S, Brähler E (2009) Wer nimmt in Deutschland ambulante Psychotherapie in Anspruch? Who is using outpatient psychotherapy in Germany? Zeitschrift für Psychother-Psychosomatik-Med Psychol 59:281–283. doi:10.1055/s-0028-1103267 CrossRef

27.

Gallas C, Kächele H, Kraft S, Kordy H, Puschner B (2008) Inanspruchnahme, Verlauf und Ergebnis ambulanter Psychotherapie. Utilization, course and outcome of outpatient psychotherapy. Psychotherapeut 53:414–423. doi:10.1007/s00278-008-0641-7 CrossRef

28.

Northouse LL, McCorkle R (2010) Spouse caregivers of cancer patients. In: Holland JC, Breitbart WS, Jacobsen PB, Lederberg MS, Loscalzo MJ, McCorkle R (eds) Psycho-Oncology. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 516–521. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD002285.pub2. 34 CrossRef

29.

Keszte J, Danker H, Dietz A, Meister E, Pabst F, Vogel HJ, Meyer A, Singer S (2013) Mental disorders and psychosocial support during the first year after total laryngectomy: a prospective cohort study. Clin Otolaryngol 38(6):494–501. doi:10.1111/coa.12194 CrossRefPubMed

30.

Bjelland I, Dahl AA, Haug TT, Neckelmann D (2002) The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: an updated literature review. J Psychosom Res 52:69–77. doi:10.1016/S0022-3999(01)00296-3 CrossRefPubMed

Title: Psychological distress and need for psycho-oncological support in spouses of total laryngectomised cancer patients—results for the first 3 years after surgery
Authors: A. Meyer
J. Keszte
D. Wollbrück
A. Dietz
J. Oeken
H. J. Vogel
S. Koscielny
K. Breitenstein
E. F. Meister
F. Pabst
J. Schock
S. Bourkas
S. Singer
Publication date: 01-05-2015
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Supportive Care in Cancer / Issue 5/2015
Print ISSN: 0941-4355
Electronic ISSN: 1433-7339
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-014-2485-8

Webinar | 19-02-2024 | 17:30 (CET)

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer

Watch now

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) are novel agents that have shown promise across multiple tumor types. Explore the current landscape of ADCs in breast and lung cancer with our experts, and gain insights into the mechanism of action, key clinical trials data, existing challenges, and future directions.

Dr. Véronique Diéras

Prof. Fabrice Barlesi

Developed by: Springer Medicine

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 5/2015

Measurement of chemotherapy-induced alopecia—time to change

Evolution of nutritional status in patients with autologous and allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant

Treatment of palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia (PPE) with topical sildenafil: a pilot study

Parental experiences of childhood cancer treatment in Kenya

The impact of music therapy versus music medicine on psychological outcomes and pain in cancer patients: a mixed methods study

Comparison of antibiotic prophylaxis with cotrimoxazole/colistin (COT/COL) versus ciprofloxacin (CIP) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on antibody–drug conjugates in cancer