Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T23:24:32.082Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Difficulties in screening for adjustment disorder, Part II: An attempt to develop a novel self-report screening instrument in cancer patients undergoing bone marrow transplantation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 March 2004

KENNETH L. KIRSH
Affiliation:
Symptom Management and Palliative Care Program, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
JOHN H. McGREW
Affiliation:
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana
STEVEN D. PASSIK
Affiliation:
Symptom Management and Palliative Care Program, Markey Cancer Center, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky

Abstract

Objective: Screening for adjustment disorder (AD) in cancer patients presents a significant clinical challenge. As seen in Part I of this research, conventional, existing measures are rather poor at detecting this most common of psychiatric diagnoses. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has a high level of morbidity that can cause significant stress for patients faced with the procedure.

Methods: A sample of 95 BMT patients completed a semistructured interview and a novel self-report instrument, the Coping Flexibility Scale for Cancer (C-Flex), to determine if it could identify patients with adjustment disorder in need of further assessment and intervention.

Results: The screen yielded four factors but was not predictive of AD. However, the C-Flex was significantly related to the presence of any disorder (r = −0.44, p < 0.001) in this sample. In addition, Factor I of the screen was found to be correlated to the presence of any diagnosis (r = −0.44, p < 0.001) and to have adequate sensitivity (81.63%) and specificity (76.09%).

Significance of results: Either because of problems with the scale or the amorphous nature of the AD category, or both, rapid identification of patients with this common problem has proven to be elusive.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 2004 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
American Society of Psychosocial and Behavioral Oncology/AIDS. (1999). Standards of Care for the Management of Distress in Patients with Cancer. New York: Author.
Brady, M., Cella, D., Mo, & F., et al. (1997). Reliability and validity of the functional assessment of cancer therapy breast quality of life instrument. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 15, 974986.Google Scholar
Brystritsky, A., Linn, L., & Ware, J. (1990). Development of a multidimensional scale of anxiety. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 4, 99115.Google Scholar
Carson, D., Council, J., & Volk, M. (1989). Temperament as a predictor of psychological adjustment in female adult incest victims. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 330335.Google Scholar
Cella, D., Bonomi, A., Lloyd, & S., et al. (1995). Reliability and validity of the functional assessment of cancer therapy-lung (FACT-L) quality of life instrument. Lung Cancer, 12, 199220.Google Scholar
Cella, D., Tulsky, D., Gray, & G., et al. (1993). The functional assessment of cancer therapy scale: Development and validation. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 11, 570579.Google Scholar
Derogatis, L., Morrow, G., & Fetting, J. (1983). The prevalence of psychiatric disorders among cancer patients. JAMA, 249, 751757.Google Scholar
Dugan, W., McDonald, M., Passik, & S., et al. (1998). Use of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale in cancer patients: Feasibility as a screening tool. Psycho-Oncology, 7, 483493.Google Scholar
Gabrys, J. & Peters, K. (1985). Reliability, discriminant and predictive validity of the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale. Psychology Reports, 57, 10911096.Google Scholar
Katon, W. & Sullivan, M. (1990). Depression and chronic medical illness. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 311.Google Scholar
Lee, R. (1983). Returning to work: Potential problems for mid-career mothers. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 9, 219232.Google Scholar
Maddock, R., Carter, C., Tavano-Hall, & L., et al. (1998). Hypocapnia associated with cardiac stress scintigraphy in chest pain patients with panic disorder. Psychosomatic Medicine, 60, 5255.Google Scholar
Nunnally, J.C. (1978). Psychometric Theory, 2nd ed. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Pedhazur, E. & Schmelkin, L. (1991). Measurement, Design, and Analysis: An Integrated Approach. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Earlbaum Associates.
Perry, D. (2000). Appraising controllability and problem solving training with homeless children. Doctoral dissertation. Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, Dissertation Abstracts International, 60, no. 09B (1999): p. 4902.
Pollin, I. & Holland, J. (1992). A model for counseling the medically ill: The Linda Pollin Foundation Approach. General Hospital Psychiatry, 14, 1124.Google Scholar
Razavi, D., Delvaux, N., & Farvacques, C. (1990). Screening for adjustment disorders and major depressive disorders in cancer patients. British Journal of Psychology, 156, 7983.Google Scholar
Rogers, S. & LeUnes, A. (1979). A psychometric and behavioral comparison of delinquents who were abused as children with their non-abused peers. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 35, 470472.Google Scholar
Segal, D., Hersen, M., & Van Hasselt, V. (1994). Reliability of the structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R: An evaluative review. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 35, 316327.Google Scholar
Sifneos, P. (1989). Brief dynamic and crisis therapy. In Comprehensive Textbook of Psychiatry, 5th ed., Kaplan, H. & Sadock, B. (eds.). vol. 2, pp. 15621567. Baltimore: Williams & Wilkins.
Skre, I., Onstad, S., Torgersen, & S., et al. (1991). High interrater reliability for the structured clinical interview for DSM-III-R axis I (SCID-I). Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 84, 167173.Google Scholar
Steinberg, M. (1994). Interviewer's Guide to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Dissociative Disorders (SCID-D). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Inc.
Strain, J. (1998). Adjustment disorders. In Psycho-oncology, Holland, J. (ed.), pp. 509517. New York: Oxford University Press.
Tate, D., Forchheimer, M., Maynard, & F., et al. (1993). Comparing two measures of depression in spinal cord injury. Rehabilitation Psychology, 38, 5361.Google Scholar
Wheaton, B. (1985). Personal resources and mental health: Can there be too much of a good thing? Research Communications in Mental Health, 5, 139184.Google Scholar
Winstead-Fry, P. & Schultz, A. (1997). Psychometric analysis of the functional assessment of cancer therapy-general (FACT-G) scale in a rural sample. Cancer, 79, 24462452.Google Scholar
Wise, M. (1994). Adjustment disorders and impulse disorders not otherwise classified. In The American Psychiatric Press Textbook of Psychiatry, 2nd ed., Talbot, J., Hales, R. & Yudofsky, S. (eds.), pp. 460484. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Press.
Yellen, S., Cella, D., Webster, & K., et al. (1997). Measuring fatigue and other anemia-related symptoms with the functional assessment of cancer therapy (FACT-G) measurement system. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 13, 6374.Google Scholar
Zabora, J. (1998). Screening procedures for psychosocial distress. In Psycho-oncology, Holland, J. (ed.), pp. 653661. New York: Oxford University Press.
Zung, W. (1967a). Depression in the normal aged. Psychosomatics, 7, 287292.Google Scholar
Zung, W. (1967b). Factors influencing the self-rating depression scale. Archives of General Psychiatry, 16, 543547.Google Scholar
Zung, W. (1971). A rating instrument for anxiety disorders. Psychosomatics, 12, 371379.Google Scholar