Objective: This study aimed to design a standard method of psychological intervention and evaluate the effect of such psychological intervention against the psychological distress of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients in the treatment with radioactive iodine.
Methods: The enrolled patients were randomly divided into the intervention group and the control group. Both the patients in the 2 groups received the routine nursing care, while the patients in the intervention group also received the additional standard psychological interventions. The questionnaires including patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder 7-item (GAD-7), cancer fatigue scale (CFS) and positive and negative affect schedule (PANAS) were used to assess psychological status. These questionnaires were performed at week 0 (T0), week 8 (T1, immediately after the last time of intervention) and week 24 (T2, 16 weeks after the intervention).
Results: PHQ-9, GAD-7, CFS and Negative Affect (NA) scores measured at T1 and T2 in the intervention group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < 0.001). And intervention group also had higher positive affect (PA) scores at T1 and T2 (P < 0.001). Furthermore, the changes of PHQ-9, GAD-7, CFS, PA and NA scores from T0 to T1 and T0 to T2 were more evident in the intervention group than in the control group.
Conclusion: Psychological intervention could significantly improve psychological distress of DTC patients in the treatment with radioactive iodine.
Keywords: differentiated thyroid cancer, radioactive iodine, psychological intervention, psychological distress, mood