Distrés emocional y problemas asociados en población oncológica adulta

Abstract

Objective: this study estimates the prevalence of emotional distress, identifies the associated problems, and analyses the knowledge and use that patients make of the psychosocial resources available in the Hospital. Method: a cross-sectional study is carried out involving 203 cancer patients receiving chemotherapy. The Brief Inventory of Symptoms -18 (BSI 18), the NCCN Problem List, and a shorter version of the Psychosocial Questionnaire are used. Results: the prevalence of distress in the total sample was 26%. The physical problems are the main source of distress: fatigue, pain, skin dry/itchy, and sleep related problems, are the most prevalent. The BSI-18 and the List of Problems show statistically significant correlations (r =.74, Range: r =.69 and r =.18). Only 21% of the distress clinical cases use the available psychosocial services. The remaining 79% indicate that they do not use them because they not need any help or not know about their existence. Conclusions: although the majority of the participants have a good adjustment to the disease, a significant percentage presents clinical levels of emotional distress. It is crucial to carry out routine screening of the distress response for early management/control, and to inform the population about the availability of psychosocial resources, making them aware of the importance of their use in vulnerability moments.