A Clinical Investigation Of Acute Stress Disorder In Patients Informing Of Malignant Tumour Diagnosis

Objective: To explore the acute stress disorder among the patients with disclosure of malignant tumour diagnosis. Methods: One hundred and nineteen malignant tumour patients informed the diagnosis within 4 weeks were recruited. All patients were assessed with the Stanford acute stress response questionnaire(SASRQ). Acute stress disorder was diagnosed according to symptom criteria of DSM-IV. The ASD patients assigned to the treatment accepected the group psychotherapy based on the principle of informed consent, while the others only accepected the norm health instruction. The mood of anxiety and depression were assessed by HAMA and HAMD before and after 4-weeks.Results:The average score of SASRQ was( 38.4±9.0).The incidence of dissociative symptoms, re-experiencing symptoms, avoidance symptoms,and hyperarousa1 symptoms were 33.6%, 30.3%,49.6%,43.7% respectively.26 cases met symptom criteria of DSM-IV acute stress disorder among all subjects. The prevalence of acute stress disorder was 21.8% in patients with disclosure of malignant tumour diagnosis. 12 of the ASD patients accepected the group psychotherapy formed the treatment group, while the other 14 patients formed the control group. The total scores of HAMA( 21.3±5.2) and HAMD( 23.0±3.3) in the treatment group had no significant differencces with the control before the therapy. But, The total scores of HAMA(11.9±2.8)and HAMD(12.9±2.7)in the treatment group had significant differencces with the control(15.4±3.2;20.8±4.6)after the 4-weeks therapy.Conclusion: Patients with malignant tumour might have some symptoms of acute stress disorder since the informing of diagnosis, while a part of them suffer from acute stress disorder.The different characteristics of the patients with group ASD incidence differernces.The incidence rate of male patients was lower than that of female patients,the incidence rate of young patients was high,and the incidence rate of patients with low education was relatively high. Group psychotherapy can significantly relieve the mood of anxiety and depression in ASD patients.