Use of alternative medicine among Norwegian cancer patients is associated with mental distress--a follow-up study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the use of alternative medicine (AM) by cancer patients' and the level of self-perceived mental distress. One hundred and fifty-seven cancer patients were included in a longitudinal questionnaire-based study 12 months after their first contact with the Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Troms?, during the period 1990 to 1991. Eligible patients received follow-up questionnaires after 24 and 60 months recording their use of AM and measuring their perceived mental distress (GHQ-20). A total of 64 (41%) of the 157 patients who completed at least one questionnaire reported using AM one or more times during follow-up (ever-use). Between 65% and 79% of patients who were eligible at each point of the study completed the GHQ questionnaire. After 60 months of follow-up, 104 patients were still alive and 54 patients (52% of the survivors) had completed all the questionnaires. At inclusion in the study, significantly more AM users reported mental distress (57%) than non-users (20%) (p = 0.001). After 24 and 60 months, the corresponding figures were 42% versus 29% (p = 0.18), and 30% versus 10% (p = 0.02), respectively. When adjusted for sex, age and disease progression, use of AM was found to be an independent factor highly associated with mental distress at 12 months (OR = 5.5, 95% CI 2.1-14.4). Later in the study, progression/relapse of cancer proved to be a more important predictor of mental distress. These findings suggest that, in North Norway, seeking alternative treatment is more common among mentally distressed cancer patients.     

History of psychotherapeutic intervention in cancer patients

Several important aspects of the history of psychotherapeutic interventions in cancer patients, such as the historical role of the cancer personality, the change in the conceptualization of the mind-body relationship and the influence of medical progress and social developments, are discussed.Presented at the Symposium Psychotherapeutic Interventions in Cancer Patients, Flims, Switzerland, 12–14 January 1995