The previous survey of oncology patients at University of California, San Francisco in 2020-2021 found an alarmingly high symptom burden and high levels of stress and loneliness among respondents. This is a follow-up study with the same sample of oncology patients and survivors who participated in the previous study
OBJECTIVES: 1. Evaluate for associations among general and disease-specific measures of stress and measures of social isolation and loneliness. 2. Evaluate for associations between general and disease-specific stress and common symptoms associated with cancer and its treatments. 3. Evaluate for associations between social isolation and loneliness and common symptoms associated with cancer and its treatments. 4. Evaluate for associations between social isolation and loneliness and health behaviors and quality of life (QOL) as compared to our last survey. as a baseline. 5. Evaluate for changes in stress, social isolation, loneliness and symptom burden between the two time points. OUTLINE: Patients will be asked to complete self-report questionnaires online. Questionnaires will take approximately 60 minutes to complete. and directed to take rest periods at 20 minute intervals. Participants will be given two weeks to complete the instruments.
Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
415
Self-reported quality of life (QOL) measures completed online
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, California, United States
Correlation of scores on perceived stress scale (PSS) and social isolation scale (SIS)
Scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) from the previous study and this study, along with scores on the Social Isolation Scale (SIS) from the previous study, this study will be compared. The PSS is a 10-item questionnaire which asks participants about feelings and thoughts during the last month. Scores of each item ranging from 0 = "Never" to 4 = "Very Often" for a total score range of 0 to 40. Scores are obtained by reversing responses (e.g., 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1 \& 4 = 0) to 4 of the 10 positively stated items and scores are calculated by summing the total. Higher scores indicate higher degree of perceived stress. The Social Isolation Scale (SIS) is a measure used to assess an individual's tendency to isolate themselves from social situations. Scores on this scale are distributed with a mean of 15.0 and a standard deviation of 4.5.
Time frame: 2 days
Correlation of scores on the perceived stress scale (PSS) and loneliness scale
Scores on the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) from the previous study and this study, along with scores on the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Loneliness Scale from the previous study, and this study will be compared. The PSS is a 10-item questionnaire which asks participants about feelings and thoughts during the last month. Scores of each item ranging from 0 = "Never" to 4 = "Very Often" for a total score range of 0 to 40. Scores are obtained by reversing responses (e.g., 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1 \& 4 = 0) to 4 of the 10 positively stated items and scores are calculated by summing the total. Higher scores indicate higher degree of perceived stress. The 3-item UCLA loneliness scale is a 3-item scale used for measuring loneliness with scores ranging from 1='Hardly ever" to 3=Often. Scores are summed to generate a total score with higher scores indicating a higher degree of loneliness.
Time frame: 2 days
Correlation of scores on the perceived stress scale (PSS) and symptom severity scores
Scores on the PSS from the previous study and this study, along with scores on Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) from the previous study, and this study will be compared. The PSS is a 10-item questionnaire which asks participants about feelings and thoughts during the last month. Scores of each item ranging from 0 = "Never" to 4 = "Very Often" for a total score range of 0 to 40. Scores are obtained by reversing responses (e.g., 0 = 4, 1 = 3, 2 = 2, 3 = 1 \& 4 = 0) to 4 of the 10 positively stated items and scores are calculated by summing the total. Higher scores indicate higher degree of perceived stress. The MSAS is used to assess common physical symptoms experienced by persons with cancer. The values for severity and frequency measurements are 1='slight' or 'rarely' and 4= 'very severe'/'almost constantly' .Higher values indicate a greater number of symptoms.
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Time frame: 2 days