Correlation of affective temperament and psychiatric symptoms in palliative care cancer patients

Abstract

SummaryBackgroundPsychiatric symptoms are common in terminally ill patients. Studies linking temperamental traits and psychiatric disorders in patients suffering from advanced disease are rare. This study investigated the influence of temperament on depression and anxiety in palliative care cancer patients.MethodsA total of 53 patients at the palliative care unit (PCU) of the Medical University of Vienna were enrolled in the study. Patients filled out the TEMPS-M and the brief PHQ-9 questionnaires to examine associations between temperament, psychiatric symptoms and sociodemographic parameters.ResultsPain (67%), anorexia (58%), constipation (42%) and nausea/vomiting (40%) were the most prevalent self-reported symptoms. Self-reported symptoms of depression were less commonly reported (21.8%) than unveiled by the structured assessment by the PHQ-9 questionnaire: 26.4% (n = 14) showed mild symptoms of depression and 64.1% (n = 34) had a major depressive disorder (MDD) according to PHQ-9. The depressive and cyclothymic temperaments showed significant associations with depressive (both: p < 0.001) as well as symptoms of anxiety (p = 0.002; p = 0.036). Furthermore, the anxious temperament was significantly associated with symptoms of depression (p = 0.027).ConclusionsMood disorders are common in palliative care patients, as the majority of the patients were suffering from MDD. The depressive, cyclothymic and anxious temperaments were found to be correlated with depressive and anxious symptoms. A sensitization in this field might bring further improvements for the quality of life of palliative care patients and help to appropriately address psychiatric symptoms in palliative care.

Using temperament and character dimensions (TCI) to analyze the personality profiles of adults and older adults with cancer managed in outpatient settings

“…Our findings suggest that personality screening within standard time periods may allow the identification of patients with poor adaptation to cancer treatment ( Unseld et al, 2018 ). Indeed, knowledge of differences in personality profiles could provide information on patients most at risk for difficulties in adapting to cancer treatment, as well as provide indications for more targeted multidisciplinary and psychotherapeutic interventions ( Semenenko et al, 2023 ).…”

“…Therefore, TCI could be used in screening and psychotherapeutic treatment planning for cancer patients in a depressed state. Some interventions have been proven to be effective in modifying some dimensions, such as self-direction and harm avoidance ( Unseld et al, 2018 ; Öztürk et al, 2019 ). High harm avoidance reflects anxious subjects who are prone to depression and pessimism, while high self-directness reflects personality features such as responsibility, determination, resourcefulness, and self-acceptance ( Rademaker et al, 2009 ; Svrakic and Cloninger, 2010 ).…”

Quality of Life of Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Prostatectomy and Affective Temperament

“… 36 Anxious and depressive temperaments predispose to the development of anxiety and mood disorders. 49 This correlation is markedly modified by stress exposure. 50 The positive correlation between the severity of these features of the affective temperament (TEMPS_D, TEMPS_A) and anxiety and depression symptoms (HADS-A and HADS-D) may also support these results ( Table 5 ).…”

Influencing factors of depressive symptoms in patients with malignant tumour

“…Additionally, one previous study showed that temperament traits correlate with depression status in cancer patients receiving palliative care. 48 Fourth, there are currently no structured interviews or validated assessment tools for neuropsychiatric disorders, which may reduce the validity of the exclusion criteria for these patients and may have reduced the statistical power of our study. To confirm the present findings, more well-designed studies are required using longer scales and a wider range of reliable variables.…”