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Cancer‐related PTSD symptoms in a veteran sample: association with age, combat PTSD, and quality of life
Author(s) -
Wachen Jennifer Schuster,
Patidar Seema M.,
Mulligan Elizabeth A.,
Naik Aanand D.,
Moye Jennifer
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/pon.3494
Subject(s) - association (psychology) , clinical psychology , cancer , psychology , sample (material) , quality of life (healthcare) , medicine , psychiatry , psychotherapist , chemistry , chromatography
Objective The diagnosis and treatment of cancer is a potentially traumatic experience that may evoke posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) among survivors. This paper describes the rates of endorsement of cancer‐related PTSS along with the relationship of demographic, cancer, and combat variables on PTSS and quality of life. Methods Veterans ( N = 166) with head and neck, esophageal, gastric, or colorectal cancers were recruited through tumor registries at two regional Veterans Administration Medical Centers. Standardized scales were used to assess self‐report of PTSS, combat, and quality of life. Results Most participants (86%) reported experiencing at least some cancer‐related PTSS; 10% scored above a clinical cutoff for probable PTSD. In linear regressions, younger age and current combat PTSS were associated with cancer‐related PTSS, whereas disease and treatment characteristics were not; in turn, cancer‐related PTSS were negatively associated with physical and social quality of life. Conclusions Individual characteristics and psychosocial factors may play a larger role than disease‐related variables in determining how an individual responds to the stress of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Given the rates of reported cancer‐related PTSS in this sample, and other non‐veteran samples, clinicians should consider screening these following diagnosis and treatment, particularly in younger adults and those with previous trauma histories. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.