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Annals of Oncology Advance Access published online on October 11, 2009
Annals of Oncology, doi:10.1093/annonc/mdp398
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Psychological distress among male patients and male spouses: what do oncologists need to know?

G. Goldzweig1, E. Andritsch2, A. Hubert3, B. Brenner4, N. Walach5, S. Perry6 and L. Baider7,*

1 Clinical Psychology Section, The School of Behavioral Sciences, The Academic College of Tel-Aviv–Yafo, Tel Aviv, Israel
2 The Institute of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Graz University Hospital, Graz, Austria
3 Digestive Tract Tumors Unit, Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel
4 The GI Oncology Unit, The Institute of Oncology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petach-Tivka, Israel
5 Oncology Unit, The Institute of Oncology, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center, Zerifin, Israel
6 The Institute of Oncology, Rabin Medical Center, Beilinson Hospital, Petach-Tivka, Israel
7 Department of Psycho-Oncology, Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel

* Corresponence to: Dr L. Baider, Department of Psycho-Oncology, Sharett Institute of Oncology, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem 91120, Israel. Tel: +972-2-566-4701; Fax: +972-2-566-3686; E-mail: rnlobel{at}bezeqint.net and baider{at}cc.huji.ac.il

Background: The aim of the current study was to strengthen the knowledge of oncologists concerning psychological distress and social support among married and unmarried male cancer patients and healthy male spouses of female cancer patients.

Patients and methods: Three groups of men were recruited from three major cancer centers in Israel: 185 married colon and rectal cancer patients, 54 single (unmarried) colon and rectal cancer patients, and 153 male spouses of female cancer patients. Participants were evaluated on four standardized instruments measuring psychological distress, coping, and social support.

Results: About 42.6% of the participants reported on a clinical level of psychological distress, with the highest rates (61.1%) among the single (unmarried) patients. Distress was negatively correlated to Karnofsky score and coping variables among all study groups. Distress was significantly and negatively correlated to social support variables among the spouses and married patients but not among the single patient groups.

Conclusions: Social support received by male cancer patients from friends and family may be mediated by spouse support. As a result, single male patients are at higher risk for psychological distress. Male spouses were also found to have high rates of distress. These two groups need special attention by oncologists.

colon cancer, men, psychological distress, social support

Received for publication April 21, 2009. Revision received July 1, 2009. Accepted for publication July 8, 2009.


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