[Course of psychosocial distress and health-related quality of life in patients at different age groups during cancer rehabilitation]

TY - JOUR

T1 - [Course of psychosocial distress and health-related quality of life in patients at different age groups during cancer rehabilitation]

AU - Krüger, Alexander

AU - Leibbrand, Birgit

AU - Barth, Jürgen

AU - Berger, Dieter

AU - Lehmann, Claudia

AU - Koch, Uwe

AU - Mehnert, Anja

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - OBJECTIVES: This study investigates psychosocial distress and health-related quality of life in younger (up to 40 years), middle-aged (up to 50 years), and elderly cancer patients (up to 60 years). METHODS: 637 patients (94%women, 75% breast-cancer patients) completed validated questionnaires measuring distress, anxiety, depression, fear of progression, and quality of life at the beginning (T0) and the end (T1) of a cancer rehabilitation program (T0/T1 response rate: 72 %) as well as at 1-year follow-up (T2) (n = 485, T2 response rate: 76 %). RESULTS: Patients in the different age groups did not differ significantly in psychosocial distress at T0 except for fear of progression, which is lower among the younger age group. Elderly patients have a significantly lower physical quality of life. At the beginning of the rehabilitation program, patients in all age groups were significantly more anxious compared to population-based normative values, whereas higher depression was found only in younger and middle-aged patients. Patients in all age groups have a significantly lower quality of life compared to population-based normative values. In particular, large effect sizes were found for physical functioning domains. Patients in all age groups improve significantly in psychosocial distress and quality of life over time; however, significant interaction effects between age group and time were not observed in psychosocial distress and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Age differences are predominantly observed in physical quality-of-life dimensions rather than in psychosocial distress. This finding should be considered for the development of rehabilitation services.

AB - OBJECTIVES: This study investigates psychosocial distress and health-related quality of life in younger (up to 40 years), middle-aged (up to 50 years), and elderly cancer patients (up to 60 years). METHODS: 637 patients (94%women, 75% breast-cancer patients) completed validated questionnaires measuring distress, anxiety, depression, fear of progression, and quality of life at the beginning (T0) and the end (T1) of a cancer rehabilitation program (T0/T1 response rate: 72 %) as well as at 1-year follow-up (T2) (n = 485, T2 response rate: 76 %). RESULTS: Patients in the different age groups did not differ significantly in psychosocial distress at T0 except for fear of progression, which is lower among the younger age group. Elderly patients have a significantly lower physical quality of life. At the beginning of the rehabilitation program, patients in all age groups were significantly more anxious compared to population-based normative values, whereas higher depression was found only in younger and middle-aged patients. Patients in all age groups have a significantly lower quality of life compared to population-based normative values. In particular, large effect sizes were found for physical functioning domains. Patients in all age groups improve significantly in psychosocial distress and quality of life over time; however, significant interaction effects between age group and time were not observed in psychosocial distress and quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Age differences are predominantly observed in physical quality-of-life dimensions rather than in psychosocial distress. This finding should be considered for the development of rehabilitation services.

M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz

VL - 55

SP - 141

EP - 161

JO - Z PSYCHOSOM MED PSYC

JF - Z PSYCHOSOM MED PSYC

SN - 1438-3608

IS - 2

M1 - 2

ER -