Alka Bohit
BSN, MS, Department of Medical Oncology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences. New Delhi, India
Title: Assessment of psychological symptoms among cancer patients and their relatives visiting a genetic clinic counselling and testing clinic at a tertiary care hospital in India
Biography
Biography: Alka Bohit
Abstract
Background: Psychological issues like stress, anxiety and depression are common among cancer patients and their relatives. In India, clinical genetic services to estimate the potential risk for hereditary or familial cancer among blood relatives of the patients are scarce, with only a couple centres that provide such services. Therefore, there are fewer opportunities for health care providers to provide genetic counselling as well.
Objectives: The project was initiated with an aim to provide genetic testing and counselling services to patients with familial and their relatives who may be at a risk for developing the disease. We established a genetic counselling and testing (GCT) centre at AII India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), the premier most medical institute in India. This research project explores the impact of the diagnosis of suspected familial cancer on the psychological stress, anxiety and depression among cancer patients and their first-degree relatives.
Methodology: This assesses distress, anxiety and depression both among cancer patients and their relatives using Distress thermometer (DT), Generalised anxiety and depression -7 (GAD-7), and Patient health questionnaire -9 (PHQ-9) respectively. Information is also obtained regarding the respondents socio-demographic, and other health-related characteristics. Each of these three questionnaires is being administered twice; first one being before the counselling, and the next a month after counselling. Patient satisfaction towards genetic counselling will be assessed by Genetic counselling satisfaction scale (GCSS). The goal of this pilot study is to obtain data on 100 patients and 100 relatives (ongoing).
Result and conclusion: The data collection is underway. The analysis involves employing multivariable regression models to estimate the risk of the three psychological outcomes among the study groups. The estimates will account for within-person correlations, and will be adjusted for relevant confounders. The findings from this study will be used to plan a larger study that will prioritize interventions based on the results obtained.