EMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR CANCER-PATIENTS - WHAT DO PATIENTS REALLY WANT

For many cancer patients and their families the experience of cancer i s an intensely stressful one. Emotional support is important for most cancer patients during their illness and can be gained from different people and services. This study evaluates patients' attitudes to diffe rent sources of support and rates their satisfaction with sources alre ady used. A total of 431 patients completed a questionnaire covering t he use of different sources, including individuals, support groups and information sources. The questionnaire also incorporated validated me asurements of anxiety, depression and locus of control. The results re vealed that the three most important sources of emotional support were senior registrars (73%) and family (73%), followed by consultants (63 %). Patients would prefer doctor- and nurse-led support groups to pati ent only-led groups (26% vs 12%). Pamphlets, such as the BACUP booklet s, proved the most important of the informational sources sought (50%) . A total of 86% of patients were satisfied or very satisfied with the emotional support received. Patients who expressed dissatisfaction wi th their emotional support were significantly more likely to be anxiou s and depressed (P<0.001). Patients who used information sources were more likely to have a higher locus of control over the course of their disease. These results show how important the doctor's role is in the provision of emotional support.