Psychological Distress Screening in Cancer Patients: Psychometric Properties of Tools Available in Italy

Abstract Purpose CancerSupportSource® (CSS) is a distress screening program implemented at community-based organizations and hospitals nationwide. The 25-item CSS assesses distress across five domains, with capacity to screen for clinically significant depression and anxiety. This study examined psychometric properties of a shortened form to enhance screening opportunities when staff or patient burden considerations are significant. Methods Development and validation were completed in multiple phases. Item reduction decisions were made with 1436 cancer patients by assessing external/internal item quality and judging theoretical and practical implications of items. Pearson correlations and confirmatory factor analysis were conducted on a separate sample of 957 patients to corroborate psychometric properties and dimensionality of the shortened scale. Nonparametric receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses determined scoring thresholds for depression and anxiety risk scales. Results Scale refinement resulted in a 15-item short form plus one screening item assessing tobacco and substance use (CSS-15+). At least two items from each CSS domain were retained to preserve multidimensionality. In confirmatory analysis, the model explained 59% of the variance and demonstrated good fit. Correlation between CSS-15+ and 25-item CSS was 0.99, p < 0.001. Sensitivity of 2-item depression and 2-item anxiety risk scales in the confirmatory sample were 0.82 and 0.83, respectively. Conclusions CSS-15+ is a brief, reliable, and valid multidimensional measure of distress. The measure retained excellent internal consistency (α = 0.94) and a stable factor structure. CSS-15+ is a practical and efficient screening tool for distress and risk for depression and anxiety among cancer patients and survivors, particularly in community-based settings.

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Poor Marital Quality Affects Psychological Distress and Immunity in Advanced Breast Cancer Patients

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e582332013-001 ◽

2013 ◽

Author(s):

Tammy A. Schuler ◽

Barbara L. Andersen

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Advanced Breast Cancer ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Marital Quality ◽

Advanced Breast ◽

Breast Cancer Patients

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From Distress Screening to Uptake: An Italian Multicenter Study of Cancer Patients

Cancers ◽

10.3390/cancers13153761 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (15) ◽

pp. 3761

Author(s):

Elena Meggiolaro ◽

Silvia De Padova ◽

Federica Ruffilli ◽

Tatiana Bertelli ◽

Marina Bragagni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Telephone Interview ◽

Psychological Intervention ◽

Supportive Services ◽

Distress Screening ◽

Potential Barriers ◽

Physical Problems ◽

Practical Usefulness ◽

Per Se ◽

Opening Up

Introduction: Little consideration is given to the referral and uptake of available supportive services after distress screening. However, identifying the reasons for accepting or refusing help is mandatory for implementing a screening policy. The present study explored the practical usefulness of and potential barriers to the application of distress management. Methods: 406 cancer patients were consecutively selected and asked to complete the Distress Thermometer (DT) and Problem Check List (PL). All patients with a DT score ≥6 were invited for a post-DT telephone interview with a trained psychologist. Results: The 112 patients who refused to take part were more often older, retired, at a more advanced stage of illness, and with no previous experience of psychological intervention with respect to those who accepted. Of the 78 patients with a score ≥6 who were referred to the Psycho-Oncology Service, 65.4% accepted the telephone interview. Twenty-two patients rejected the initial invitation immediately for various reasons including logistic difficulties, physical problems, and feeling embarrassed about opening up to a psychologist. Conclusions: Our study confirms that screening per sé is insufficient to deal with the problem of distress and that more emphasis should be placed on implementing referral and treatment.

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The positive effect of social support on psychological distress among Chinese lung cancer patients: The mediating role of self‐esteem

Nursing Open ◽

10.1002/nop2.793 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Xu Tian ◽

Yanfei Jin ◽

Hui Chen ◽

Ling Tang ◽

Maria F. Jiménez‐Herrera

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Social Support ◽

Psychological Distress ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Lung Cancer Patients ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Positive Effect

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Cross-cultural adaptation and psychometric properties of the Kessler Distress Scale (K10): an application of the rating scale model

Psicologia: Reflexão e Crítica ◽

10.1186/s41155-021-00186-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 34 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Evandro Morais Peixoto ◽

Daniela Sacramento Zanini ◽

Josemberg Moura de Andrade

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Rating Scale ◽

Self Report ◽

Clinical Population ◽

Scale Model ◽

General Factor ◽

Measurement Models ◽

Distress Scale ◽

Rating Scale Model

Abstract Background The Kessler Distress Scale (K10) is a self-report scale for the assessment of non-specific psychological distress in the general and clinical population. Because of its ease of application and good psychometric properties, the K10 has been adapted to several cultures. The present study seeks to adapt the K10 to Brazilian Portuguese and estimate its validity evidence and reliability. Methods A total of 1914 individuals from the general population participated in the study (age = 34.88, SD = 13.61, 77.7% female). The adjustment indices were compared among three different measurement models proposed for the K10 through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The items’ properties were analyzed by Andrich’s Rating Scale Model (RSM). Furthermore, evidence based on relations to other variables (depression, stress, anxiety, positive and negative affects, and satisfaction with life) was estimated. Results CFA indicated the adequacy of the bifactor model (CFI= 0.985; TLI= 0.973; SMR= 0.019; RMSEA= 0.050), composed of two specific factors (depression and anxiety) and one general factor (psychological distress), corresponding to the theoretical hypothesis. Additionally, it was observed multiple-group invariance by gender and age range. The RSM provided an understanding of the organization of the continuum represented by the psychological distress construct (items difficulty), which varied from −0.89 to 1.00; good adjustment indexes; infit between 0.67 and 1.32; outfit between 0.68 and 1.34; and desirable reliability, α= 0.87. Lastly, theoretically coherent associations with the external variables were observed. Conclusions It is concluded that the Brazilian version of the K10 is a suitable measure of psychological distress for the Brazilian population.

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Psychometric properties of the Chinese version of Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire—short form in cancer patients: a Bayesian structural equation modeling approach

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes ◽

10.1186/s12955-021-01692-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ted C. T. Fong ◽

Adrian H. Y. Wan ◽

Venus P. Y. Wong ◽

Rainbow T. H. Ho

Keyword(s):

Psychometric Properties ◽

Cancer Patients ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Short Form ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire ◽

Health Measures ◽

Acting With Awareness ◽

Colorectal Cancer Patients ◽

Bayesian Structural Equation Modeling

Abstract Background Mindfulness has emerged as an important correlate of well-being in various clinical populations. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of the 20-item short form of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ-SF) in the Chinese context. Methods The study sample was 127 Chinese colorectal cancer patients who completed the FFMQ-SF and validated physical and mental health measures. Factorial validity of the FFMQ-SF was assessed using Bayesian structural equation modeling (BSEM) via informative priors on cross-loadings and residual covariances. Linear regression analysis examined its convergent validity with the health measures on imputed datasets. Results The five-factor BSEM model with approximate zero cross-loadings and one residual covariance provided an adequate model fit (PPP = 0.07, RMSEA = 0.06, CFI = 0.95). Satisfactory reliability (ω = 0.77–0.85) was found in four of the five facets (except nonjudging). Acting with awareness predicted lower levels of perceived stress, negative affect, anxiety, depression, and illness symptoms (β = − 0.37 to − 0.42) and better quality of life (β = 0.29–0.32). Observing, nonjudging, and nonreacting did not show any significant associations (p > .05) with health measures. Acting with awareness was not significantly correlated (r < 0.15) with the other four facets. Conclusion The present findings provide partial support for the psychometric properties of the FFMQ-SF in colorectal cancer patients. The nonjudging facet showed questionable validity and reliability in the present sample. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to elucidate the viability of FFMQ-SF as a measure of mindfulness facets in cancer patients.

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