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ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: We measured the prevalence of stigma, self-blame, and perceived blame from others for their illness among men with colorectal cancer (CRC) and examined whether these factors were associated with depressive symptoms, independent of clinical and sociodemographic factors. METHODS: Self-administered questionnaires were returned in the fall of 2009 by 1109 eligible male US veterans who were diagnosed with CRC at any Veterans Affairs facility in 2008. Questionnaires assessed stigma, feelings of blame, and depressive symptoms as well as other facets of health, cancer characteristics, and quality and type of medical care. We report the prevalence of cancer stigma, self-blame, and perceived blame from others. We used multivariate linear regression to assess the association between these factors and a measure of depressive symptoms. Covariates included several measures of overall health, cancer progression, symptom severity, and sociodemographic factors. RESULTS: Thirty one percent of respondents endorsed at least one item in a measure of cancer stigma and 25% reported feeling that it was at least 'a little true' that they were to blame for their illness. All three independent variables were associated with depressive symptoms in bivariate models; cancer stigma and self-blame were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the multivariate model. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer stigma and self-blame are problems for a significant minority of men with CRC and are independent predictors of depressive symptoms. They may represent an important source of stress in men with CRC. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psycho-Oncology 09/2011; · 3.34 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Background
We measured the prevalence of stigma, self-blame, and perceived blame from others for their illness among men with colorectal cancer (CRC) and examined whether these factors were associated with depressive symptoms, independent of clinical and sociodemographic factors.Methods
Self-administered questionnaires were returned in the fall of 2009 by 1109 eligible male US veterans who were diagnosed with CRC at any Veterans Affairs facility in 2008. Questionnaires assessed stigma, feelings of blame, and depressive symptoms as well as other facets of health, cancer characteristics, and quality and type of medical care. We report the prevalence of cancer stigma, self-blame, and perceived blame from others. We used multivariate linear regression to assess the association between these factors and a measure of depressive symptoms. Covariates included several measures of overall health, cancer progression, symptom severity, and sociodemographic factors.ResultsThirty one percent of respondents endorsed at least one item in a measure of cancer stigma and 25% reported feeling that it was at least ‘a little true’ that they were to blame for their illness. All three independent variables were associated with depressive symptoms in bivariate models; cancer stigma and self-blame were significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the multivariate model.Conclusions
Cancer stigma and self-blame are problems for a significant minority of men with CRC and are independent predictors of depressive symptoms. They may represent an important source of stress in men with CRC. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psycho-Oncology 09/2011; · 3.34 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: To test whether an interactive voice response (IVR) system phone call was equally effective as a nurse-delivered phone call at educating and preparing patients for flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) and colonoscopy examinations.
Three-arm randomized controlled trial.
The trial included patients with upcoming FS or colonoscopy appointments to test the equivalence of an IVR system to nurse-delivered phone calls in reducing appointment nonattendance and inadequate preparation for an examination. Message timing and satisfaction with the intervention were assessed. The 3 study conditions included the following: nurse phone call 7 days before the procedure, IVR system call 7 days before the procedure, and IVR system call 3 days before the procedure. All calls included an appointment reminder, information about preparation for the examination, and encouragement to prepare for and attend the examination.
A total of 3610 patients were eligible for the study; of these, 1229 (34%) were scheduled for FS and 2381 (66%) for colonoscopy. There were no statistically significant differences across the 3 study arms in appointment attendance or adherence to preparation instructions. Significantly more patients in IVR conditions reported neutral perceptions about the phone calls, and more patients receiving nurse calls reported very positive perceptions about the phone calls.
An IVR system call is as effective as a nurse phone call for ensuring that patients attend appointments and are adequately prepared for endoscopy examinations.
The American journal of managed care 03/2011; 17(3):199-208. · 2.46 Impact Factor
