Recognition of distress and psychiatric morbidity in cancer patients: a multi-method approach - Keller 2020

This study aims to establish the prevalence of psychological illness and distress among 189 sequentially recruited cancer patients and to investigate medical staff recognition of concerned patients. Assessment included a diagnostic psychiatric interview (SCID, DSM-IV), patient-reported distress using a standardised questionnaire (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale), and physicians' and nurses' distress estimations. 28% of patients had a psychiatric diagnosis, mostly adjustment disorder. Surgeons accurately recognized distress in 77% of psychiatric patients, and nurses in 75%. Due to low specificity, surgeons' and nurses' positive predictive values were 39% and 40%. Only a small percentage of troubled patients were referred to the psychological liaison program. Since many troubled patients go unnoticed by medical workers, only rigorous screening upon admission can provide early support.

M. Keller, S. Sommerfeldt, C. Fischer, L. Knight, M. Riesbeck, B. Löwe, C. Herfarth, T. Lehnert, Recognition of distress and psychiatric morbidity in cancer patients: a multi-method approach, Annals of Oncology, Volume 15, Issue 8, 2004, Pages 1243-1249, ISSN 0923-7534, https://doi.org/10.1093/annonc/mdh318.