Disclosure of true diagnosis in Japanese cancer patients

Citation
T. Hosaka et al., Disclosure of true diagnosis in Japanese cancer patients, GEN HOSP PS, 21(3), 1999, pp. 209-213
Citations number
17
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry,"Clinical Psycology & Psychiatry
Journal title
GENERAL HOSPITAL PSYCHIATRY
ISSN journal
0163-8343 → ACNP
Volume
21
Issue
3
Year of publication
1999
Pages
209 - 213
Database
ISI
SICI code
0163-8343(199905/06)21:3<209:DOTDIJ>2.0.ZU;2-T
Abstract
Full disclosure of medical diagnosis to cancer patients in Japan remains co ntroversial. Some physicians in Japan believe that full disclosure may affe ct the outcome of treatment, create stress and psychiatric problems, or lea d to suicide. Although the trend toward full disclosure is increasing in Ja pan, approximately 70% of current cancer patients are still not fully infor med of their condition. In this study, the authors examined the psychiatric status and effects of full disclosure among 100 otolaryngology patients at Tokai University Hospital (50 with benign diseases, 50 with malignancy) us ing major depression and adjustment disorders criteria of the DSM-III-X Str uctured Clinical Interview (SCID). This demonstrated that 15 of 50 (30%) pa tients with benign diseases and 23 of 50 (46%) patients with malignant dise ases met the criteria for depression and adjustment disorder; 29 of the 50 patients (58%) with malignant cancer were not informed of their true condit ion, according to the wishes of their families (21 were fully informed). Th e prevalence rate of psychiatric disorders was 42.9% among the informed gro up and 48.3% among the uninformed group. These findings suggest that concea ling the true diagnosis was not related to the presence of psychiatric diso rders in Japanese cancer patients. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.