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Psychiatric disorders and background characteristics of cancer patients' family members referred to psychiatric consultation service at National Cancer Center Hospitals in Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2008

Mariko Asai ,
Tatsuo Akechi ,
Tomohito Nakano ,
Ken Shimizu ,
Shino Umezawa ,
Nobuya Akizuki  and
Yosuke Uchitomi
Mariko Asai
Affiliation:
Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Science, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Tatsuo Akechi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Cognitive-Behavioral Medicine, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Science, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
Tomohito Nakano
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry, Kitasato Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Ken Shimizu
Affiliation:
Psychiatry Service, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Shino Umezawa
Affiliation:
Nursing Division, National Cancer Center Hospital, Tokyo, Japan
Nobuya Akizuki
Affiliation:
Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan
Yosuke Uchitomi*
Affiliation:
Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Chiba, Japan
*
Address correspondence and reprint requests to: Yosuke Uchitomi, Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, 6-5-1 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8577, Japan. E-mail: yuchitom@east.ncc.go.jp
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Abstract

Objective:

Psychological distress of cancer patients' family members is treated by psychiatric consultation service for outpatients at National Cancer Center Hospitals in Japan. The purpose of this study was to identify psychiatric disorders and explore background characteristics of cancer patients' family members referred to psychiatric consultation service, so that we could better understand current utilization of this psychiatric consultation service for cancer patients' family members.

Methods:

A retrospective descriptive study using clinical practice data obtained for 5 years (from January 2000 to December 2004) was conducted at two National Cancer Center Hospitals. We reviewed the psychiatric consultation database, computerized patient database of the National Cancer Center Hospitals, and medical charts of cancer patients' family members who were referred to psychiatry and their cancer patients.

Results:

Out of a total of 4992 psychiatric consultations, 118 (2%) were for cancer patients' family members. The most common psychiatric disorders among cancer patients' family members were adjustment disorders (n = 69, 58%), followed by major depression (n = 30, 25%). Female (n = 101, 86%), spouse (n = 87, 74%), married (n = 92, 78%), and housewife (n = 63, 53%) were the most common background characteristics of the family members. Sixty-four percent of cancer patients (n = 75) were hospitalized at the time of their family members' referral and 34% of cancer patients (n = 40) had already received psychiatric consultation service and 55% of cancer patients (n = 65) had delivered bad news prior to their family members' referral.

Significance of the research:

We found that very few family members were provided with psychiatric consultation service at two National Cancer Center Hospitals. Adjustment disorders are suggested to be the most common psychiatric disorders among cancer patients' family members.

Keywords

Psychiatric disordersBackground characteristicsCancer patients'family membersPsychiatric consultationJapan
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 6 , Issue 3 , September 2008 , pp. 225 - 230
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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