The synthetic house-tree-person (S-HTP) drawing test is a projective measure primarily designed to assess specific complex personality traits. It is widely used in general psychological problems and mental illness such as psychological crisis intervention. Applicability and validity of S-HTP drawing test in cancer patients suffering from anxiety are still unclear and there are no reports on such research. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of anxiety in cancer patients and to investigate the applicability of S-HTP drawing test in such patients. Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and the S-HTP drawing test were applied to 167 cancer patients (58.7% male; 41.3% female), 52.92±10.43 years old. On SAS, anxiety rate was found in 16.17% cancer patients. Using the evaluation results from SAS as the dependent variable and the anxiety drawing characteristics as the independent variables, the logistic regression equation was established, and 9 drawing features were employed in the regression equation (χ2=56.982, P≤0.001, Nagelkerke R2=0.492). It is concluded that there is a positive correlation between S-HTP drawing test and SAS for anxiety state of cancer patients (p<0.01). S-HTP drawing test and SAS have interrater reliability and test-retest reliability. Our findings indicate that the S-HTP drawing test could help in screening anxiety in cancer patients.

Background. Evidence regarding the relationship between synthetic house-tree-person (S-HTP) drawing test and depression in cancer patients is limited. The aim of this study was to explore the applicability and validity of S-HTP drawing test in cancer patients suffering from depression. Methods. As a population based cross-sectional study, 167 patients with cancer were enrolled in a hospital in China from December 2015 to December 2017. Self-edited general information questionnaire, self-rating depression scale (SDS), and the S-HTP drawing test were completed by all participants. Results. The average age of 167 selected participants was 52.92 ± 10.43 years old, and about 58.7% (98/167) of them were male. On SDS, depression rate was found in 34.1% (27/167) cancer patients. The logistic regression equation was established by using the depression drawing characteristics as the independent variables and the evaluation results from SDS as the dependent variable and 9 drawing characteristics employed in the regression equation (χ2 = 68.657, P < 0.001. Nagelkerke R2 = 0.466). Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between S-HTP drawing test and SDS for depression state of cancer patients (p < 0.01). Conclusions. There are interrater reliability and test-retest reliability between S-HTP drawing test and SDS. The S-HTP drawing test could help in screening depression in cancer patients.

In clinical practice, thallium poisoning is very hard to diagnose, because it is a very uncommon disease and its clinical manifestations are extremely complicated. In the present study, we investigated a case of a 53-year-old man who was hospitalized for persistent stabbing pain in the abdomen and lower extremities for 20 days. Physical examination revealed diffuse alopecia of the scalp. The final diagnosis of thallium poisoning was confirmed based on high blood and urine thallium levels. The patient was cured by an oral administration of Prussian blue combined with hemoperfusion and continuous veno-venous hemofiltration.