Short report

Comparison of temporal changes in psychological distress after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation among the underlying diseases of Japanese adult patients

Wataru Fukuo¹ , Kazuhiro Yoshiuchi¹ , Yoshiyuki Takimoto¹ , Noriyuki Sakamoto¹ , Hiroe Kikuchi¹ , Maki Hachizuka¹ , Shuji Inada¹ , Yasuhito Nannya² , Keiki Kumano³ , Tsuyoshi Takahashi² , Mineo Kurokawa^2,3 and Akira Akabayashi¹

¹  Department of Stress Sciences and Psychosomatic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

²  Department of Hematology/Oncology, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

³  Department of Cell Therapy and Transplantation Medicine, the University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

author email corresponding author email

BioPsychoSocial Medicine 2008, 2:24doi:10.1186/1751-0759-2-24

Published:	21 November 2008

Abstract

Background

Although hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) can potentially cure some hematological malignancies, patients who undergo HSCT experience psychological distress. However, there have been few studies on the short-term influence of HSCT on psychological distress.

Methods

The subjects were 71 patients with hematological malignancies who underwent HSCT: 33 with acute leukemia, 19 with chronic leukemia, nine with myelodysplastic syndrome, and 10 with malignant lymphoma. Psychological distress was assessed prior to HSCT and on the seventh day after HSCT using the Profile of Mood States (POMS).

Results

With regard to Anger-Hostility, the interaction of time (pre- and post-HSCT) and group (the four groups) was significant in male patients (p = 0.04), but not in female patients. With regard to the other subscales of POMS, there was no significant main effect or interaction in male or female patients.

Conclusion

It may be important to provide psychological support to patients throughout the period of HSCT in consideration of differences in mood changes associated with the underlying disease and patient sex in order to provide efficient psychiatric intervention for both better psychiatric and survival outcomes.