This study determines how the threat of the coronavirus has affected the mental health and physical well-being of cancer patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic, and how they have coped with any related stress. Questionnaires that assess coping strategies and behaviors for decreasing disease transmission may help researchers create recommendations for future public health crises and pandemics.
PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: I. To determine how the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) public health crisis affected mental well-being in cancer patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. To determine how the COVID-19 public health crisis affected physical well-being and substance use in cancer patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic. II. To determine how patient coping strategies and levels of apathy affected mental and physical health symptoms and substance use during COVID-19 in patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic. III. To determine the association of coping strategies and levels of apathy with proclivity to engage in health behaviors intended to decrease the transmission of the disease during the COVID-19 pandemic in patients seen at the psychiatric oncology clinic. OUTLINE: Patients complete 3 questionnaires online over 15 minutes regarding coping strategies that may have been used, mental health and physical well-being in the past month, and if they have been following certain behaviors which the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended during the coronavirus pandemic, such as regular hand washing and social distancing.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
80
Complete questionnaires
M D Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas, United States
Patient-reported severity of depression
sum score on the Patient Health Questionnaire, a 9-item scale with a sumscore ranging between 0 and 27, with a higher score indicating more-severe depression.
Time frame: Baseline
Patient-reported severity of anxiety
sum score on the generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire, a 7-item scale with sumscore range between 0 and 21. A higher score indicates higher severity of anxiety.
Time frame: Baseline
Patient-reported severity of distress
score on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer, a one-item 0-10 scale. A higher score indicates higher distress.
Time frame: Baseline
Patient-reported physical symptoms
Physical symptoms are assessed with individual-item response on the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale by the clinic. The ESAS includes 6 somatic symptom items, each of which is to be rated on a 0-10 scale, with higher scores indicating higher severity of the symptom.
Time frame: Baseline
Substance use
Substance use is documented by the treating physician and will be abstracted from clinic notes.
Time frame: Baseline
Patient-reported coping strategy
Assessed using the brief COPE questionnaire. Will examine active versus avoidant coping. Active coping, planning, positive reframing, acceptance, humor, religion, emotional support-seeking, and instrumental support-seeking will be considered active coping strategies. Self-distraction, denial, venting, substance use, behavioral disengagement, and self-blame will be considered maladaptive coping strategies.
Time frame: Baseline
Patient-reported levels of apathy
The Apathy evaluation Scale is an 18-item scale with a sum score ranging between 18 and 72. A higher scores indicates higher apathy..
Time frame: Baseline
Patient-reported engagement in the 5 health behaviors endorsed by World Health Organization intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus
Patients indicate how often during the pandemic they engaged in the following 5 behaviors endorsed by the World Health Organization to decrease the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): washing hands regularly for 20 seconds with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub, covering nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or flexed elbow when you cough or sneeze, avoiding close contact with people who are unwell, staying home and self-isolating from others in the household when feeling unwell, avoiding touching eyes, nose, and mouth when hands are unclean. The behaviors will be assessed on a Likert scale of 1-5, with 1 being "never" and 5 being "always". A not available (N/A) option will be given for staying home and self-isolating from others when feeling unwell, since participants may not experience a period of feeling unwell.
Time frame: Baseline
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