A brief questionnaire picks out those cancer survivors most in need of more psychological support.

People who survive cancer may have profound emotional responses and could benefit from specialised psychological help. Others may be perfectly able to cope on their own. Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found a way of identifying those most in need of help.

They gave screening questionnaires to a group of 101 adult survivors of childhood cancer which they filled in while waiting for their outpatient appointment. Sixty-four per cent thought the survey would be helpful in educating their physicians about their emotional state. Around 30 per cent had scores suggesting emotional distress. Three factors raised the risk of psychological problems - being unhappy with physical appearance, poor physical health and having been treated with radiation to the skull. The questionnaire looks as if it could be a very useful tool in identifying cancer survivors in need of more psychological support.

Source

Journal of Clinical Oncology 1st March 2003