Predictors of emotional distress in patients with head and neck cancer.

Background: Patients with head and neck cancer are known to be more commonly emotionally distressed than patients with other tumors. This study investigates reasons for this difference.

Methods: Patients in this prospective cohort study included those with head and neck cancer (n = 113) and those with other cancers (n = 1690). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, measuring emotional distress, along with additional questions regarding emotional support wished and provided were administered.

Results: Patients with head and neck tumors were 1.5-fold (at the time of admission), 1.2-fold (before discharge), and 2.7-fold (half a year after admission) more frequently distressed than the other patients with cancer. This association was confounded by perceived social support and sociodemographic factors. Patients with head and neck cancer expressed less frequently the wish for and received less support by psycho-oncologists.

Conclusions: Emotional distress is more common in patients with head and neck tumors; this is largely a result of the psychosocial context the patients live in, especially the amount of social support received.