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- Jörngården, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Health-related quality of life, anxiety and depression among adolescents and young adults with cancer : A prospective longitudinal study
- 2007
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cancer. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-8049 .- 1879-0852. ; 43:13, s. 1952-1958
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The present study sets out to add to knowledge about the development over time of health-related quality of life (HRQL), anxiety and depression among survivors of adolescent cancer. The aim was to investigate if and how the HRQL, anxiety and depression of a group of adolescents with cancer differ from those of a reference group shortly after diagnosis, and subsequently at 6, 12 and 18 months after diagnosis. Adolescents diagnosed with cancer and a reference group randomised from the general population completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the two subscales Mental Health and Vitality in the Short Form 36 (SF-36) in telephone interviews. The results indicate a steady increase in psychological well-being from the time of diagnosis, when the cancer patients’ ratings were significantly worse than those of the general population, and onwards. The differences gradually disappeared and then were reversed, resulting in the cancer group reporting significantly better HRQL and lower levels of anxiety and depression than the reference group when 1.5 years had passed since diagnosis. The adolescents faced with cancer show signs of adaptation to trauma, which can be understood in relation to the theoretical framework of posttraumatic growth as well as response shift. Future research should continue to follow this development over time, to investigate if the positive effects of the cancer experience will wear off, or if it has facilitated a permanent positive outcome.
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| 2. |
- Larsson, Gunnel, et al.
(författare)
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Aspects of quality of life, anxiety, and depression among persons diagnosed with cancer during adolescence : a long-term follow-up study
- 2010
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Ingår i: European Journal of Cancer. - : Elsevier BV. - 0959-8049 .- 1879-0852. ; 46:6, s. 1062-1068
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- AIM: Quality of life, anxiety, and depression among persons diagnosed with cancer during adolescence up to 4 years after diagnosis, and in comparison with a reference group were investigated. METHODS: The cancer group (N=61) completed the SF-36 mental health and vitality and the HADS anxiety and depression subscales shortly after and at 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 and 48 months after diagnosis. A reference group (N=300) randomly drawn by Statistics Sweden from their civil register of the Swedish population completed the same instruments at one assessment. Data were collected by telephone interviews. RESULTS: Up to 6 months after diagnosis the cancer group reports lower levels of mental health and vitality and a higher level of depression than the reference group. At 18 months after diagnosis a reverse situation occurs and at 48 months after diagnosis the cancer group reports a higher level of vitality and lower levels of anxiety and depression than the reference group. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that a positive psychological change may develop in the aftermath of cancer during adolescence. However, efforts should be made to enable clinicians and nursing staff to identify and to provide psychological support to individuals who experience low quality of life and high emotional distress. If these problems remain undetected and appropriate support is not provided the distress may become a barrier to physical recovery, resulting in a vicious cycle of physical and mental disability.
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