Effect of Depression and Anxiety on Symptoms in Thyroid Cancer Patients Undergoing Radioactive Iodine (I131) Therapy

Nami Chun

doi:10.5388/aon.2012.12.4.297

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Chun: Effect of Depression and Anxiety on Symptoms in Thyroid Cancer Patients Undergoing Radioactive Iodine (I131) Therapy

Original Article

Asian Oncology Nursing

Asian Oncology Nursing 2012; 12(4): 297-304.

Published online: 31 December 2012

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2012.12.4.297

Effect of Depression and Anxiety on Symptoms in Thyroid Cancer Patients Undergoing Radioactive Iodine (I¹³¹) Therapy

Nami Chun

Sungshin Women's University College of Nursing, Seoul, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Chun, Nami. Sungshin Women's University College of Nursing, Woonjung Green Campus C-618, 76-gaguil 55 Dobong-ro, Gangbuk-gu, Seoul 142-732, Korea. Tel: +82-2-920-7523, Fax: +82-920-2092, nmchun@sungshin.ac.kr

Received 29 October 2012 Accepted 9 December 2012

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

This study was to identify the symptom severity, interference and their psychological predictors in thyroid cancer patients hospitalized for radioactive iodine administration.

Methods

One hundred seventy-seven thyroid cancer patients admitted to the isolation room for Iodine (I¹³¹) therapy were recruited. Subjects were asked to complete the questionnaire on core symptoms, thyroid cancer symptoms, interference, depression and state anxiety in the evening after receiving radioactive iodine therapy. Data was analyzed using frequency, percentage, mean, Pearson's correlation, and multiple regression with SPSS vs. 19.

Results

Lack of appetite, drowsiness, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and nausea were the 5 most core symptoms. More than 20% of patients experienced moderate to severe thyroid cancer symptoms including feeling cold, hoarseness, swallowing difficulty, and feeling hot. More than 30% of subjects experienced moderate to severe interferences in mood, general activity, and 22% in walking. Depression and state anxiety were identified as predictors of core symptoms, thyroid symptom severity and interference.

Conclusion

Nursing interventions to reduce the symptom severity and interference need to be developed by considering thyroid cancer patients' depression and anxiety when hospitalized in the isolation room for radioactive iodine administration.

Keywords: Thyroid Neoplasms, Symptoms, Depression, Anxiety

Figures and Tables

Table 1

General and Medical Characteristics (N=177)

Table 2

Descriptive Statistics for the Variables (N=177)

^*0 on the 0-10 scale.

LCL=lower 95% confident level; UCL=upper 95% confident level.

Table 3

Correlations for the Severity of Subscale, Depression and Anxiety (N=177)

Table 4

Effect of Depression and Anxiety on Symptoms (N=177)

^*p<.001.

Notes

This study was supported by Sungshin Women's University research grant of 2010.

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