ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN HOSPITALIZED-PATIENTS WITH CANCER - AGREEMENT IN PATIENT-STAFF DYADS

Patient and staff perceptions of patient anxiety and depression were d etermined in 53 dyads of hospitalized cancer patients and their nursin g staff Patient anxiety and depression were assessed with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. In addition, anxiety was measured by a numerical (0-10) scale. A staff person who had been caring for a certa in patient the previous 3 days assessed that patient's anxiety and dep ression with staff versions of the same instruments. For one subsample (n = 18), staff were also asked to estimate their own hypothetical an xiety were they to have the same disease as the patient. Results indic ate that staff overestimated patient anxiety systematically and showed limited ability to adequately assess patient anxiety and depression i n terms of rank. Patients and staff agreed about individual patients' levels of anxiety and depression only to a limited degree. Discrepanci es between patient and staff ratings of patient anxiety predominantly concerned patients reporting low anxiety levels. Several explanations for these findings ave discussed. One possible explanation, the ''requ irement of mourning'' hypothesis, is supported by our findings that st aff estimation of patient anxiety was strongly associated with their e stimation of their own hypothetical anxiety if they were to be in the patient's situation.