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Psychiatric disorders and stress factors experienced by staff members in cancer hospitals: A preliminary finding from psychiatric consultation service at National Cancer Center Hospitals in Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 September 2010

Mariko Asai ,
Nobuya Akizuki ,
Tatsuo Akechi ,
Tomohito Nakano ,
Ken Shimizu ,
Shino Umezawa ,
Asao Ogawa ,
Yutaka Matsui  and
Yosuke Uchitomi
Mariko Asai
Affiliation:
Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center, Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Nobuya Akizuki
Affiliation:
Psycho-Oncology Division, Chiba Cancer Center, Chiba, Chiba, 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
Asao Ogawa
Affiliation:
Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center, Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
Yutaka Matsui
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Science, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
Yosuke Uchitomi*
Affiliation:
Psycho-Oncology Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center, Hospital East, Kashiwa, 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:

The purpose of this study is to identify psychiatric disorders and stress factors experienced by staff members in cancer hospitals who were referred to psychiatric consultation service, and to investigate the association between psychiatric disorders and stress factors.

Method:

A retrospective descriptive study using clinical practice data on staff members referred to psychiatric consultation service, obtained for 8 years, was conducted at two National Cancer Center Hospitals in Japan. Psychiatric disorders were identified according to DSM-IV. Stress factors were extracted from a chief complaint at the initial visit in medical charts, using a coding approach, and grouped as job stress or personal stress. The frequencies of the stress factors were determined by two coders who were unaware of the categorized procedure. Fisher's exact test was used to determine the association between psychiatric disorders and stress factors.

Results:

Of 8077 psychiatric consultations, 65 (1%) staff members were referred. The most common psychiatric disorder was adjustment disorder (n = 26, 40%), followed by major depression (n = 17, 26%). Eight stress factors were identified from 76 meaning units and were grouped into five job stresses and three personal stresses. Of the five job stresses, four were most frequently experienced in adjustment disorders, and “failure to adapt to job environmental change” was significantly associated (p = 0.014). Two of the three personal stresses were most frequently experienced in psychiatric disorders other than major depressive disorder and adjustment disorders, and “suffering from mental disease” was significantly associated (p = 0.001).

Significance of results:

We found that very few staff members were provided with psychiatric consultation service. A comprehensive support system for job stress might be needed to prevent adjustment disorders, as those are suggested to be the most common psychiatric disorders among staff members in cancer hospitals.

Keywords

Psychiatric disordersStress factorsStaff in cancer hospitalsPsychiatric consultation serviceJapan
Type
Original Articles
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 8 , Issue 3 , September 2010 , pp. 291 - 295
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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