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Brief emotional screening in oncology: Specificity and sensitivity of the emotion thermometers in the Portuguese cancer population

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 June 2019

Ricardo João Teixeira Open the ORCID record for Ricardo João Teixeira [Opens in a new window] ,
José C. Machado Open the ORCID record for José C. Machado [Opens in a new window] ,
Sara Faria Open the ORCID record for Sara Faria [Opens in a new window] ,
Sónia Remondes-Costa Open the ORCID record for Sónia Remondes-Costa [Opens in a new window] ,
Tânia Brandão Open the ORCID record for Tânia Brandão [Opens in a new window] ,
Margarida Branco ,
Sara Moreira  and
M. Graça Pereira Open the ORCID record for M. Graça Pereira [Opens in a new window]
Ricardo João Teixeira
Affiliation:
University of Minho, School of Psychology, Braga, Portugal
José C. Machado
Affiliation:
University of Minho, Social Sciences Institute, Braga, Portugal
Sara Faria
Affiliation:
University of Minho, School of Psychology, Braga, Portugal
Sónia Remondes-Costa
Affiliation:
University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Department of Education and Psychology, Vila Real, Portugal
Tânia Brandão
Affiliation:
CIP, Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade Autónoma de Lisboa Luís de Camões, Lisboa, Portugal CPUP, Center for Psychology at University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
Margarida Branco
Affiliation:
Liaison Psychiatry and Health Psychology Unit - Psychiatry and Mental Health Service, Oporto Hospital Centre, Porto, Portugal
Sara Moreira
Affiliation:
Liaison Psychiatry and Health Psychology Unit - Psychiatry and Mental Health Service, Oporto Hospital Centre, Porto, Portugal
M. Graça Pereira*
Affiliation:
University of Minho, School of Psychology, Braga, Portugal
*
Author for correspondence: M. Graça Pereira, University of Minho, School of Psychology, Department of Applied Psychology, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057Braga, Portugal. Email: gracep@psi.uminho.pt
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Abstract

Objective

This study aimed to determine the cutoff and the specificity and sensitivity of the Emotion Thermometers (ET) in a Portuguese sample of cancer patients.

Method

A total of 147 patients (mean age = 49.2; SD = 12.6) completed the ET, the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), and the Subjective Experiences of Illness Suffering Inventory. Data were collected in a cancer support institution and in a major hospital in the North of Portugal.

Result

The optimal cutoff for the Anxiety Thermometer was 5v6 (until 5 and 6 or more), which identified 74% of the BSI-anxiety cases and 70% of noncases. The Depression Thermometer cutoff was 4v5 (until 4 and 5 or more), which identified 85% of BSI-depression cases and 82% of noncases. Cutoff for the Anger Thermometer was 4v5 (until 4 and 5 or more), which identified 83% of BSI-hostility cases and 73% of noncases; for the Distress Thermometer, the optimal cutoff was 4v5 (until 4 and 5 or more), which identified 84% of the suffering cases and 73% of noncases. Finally, for the Help Thermometer, it was 3v4 (until 3 and 4 or more), which helped to identify 93% of the suffering cases and 64% of noncases.

Significance of results

Results supported the Portuguese version of the ET as an important screening tool for identifying the emotional distress in cancer patients.

Keywords

Emotion thermometersDistressCancerPortugalValidation
Type
Original Article
Information
Palliative & Supportive Care , Volume 18 , Issue 1 , February 2020 , pp. 39 - 46
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019

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