Emotional states of patients with hematological malignancies: preliminary study

We conducted a study to demonstrate the kinds and frequencies of psychiatric symptoms among 31 inpatients with malignant hematological diseases. The DSM-III-R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, third edition-revised, 1987) structured interview and three psychological tests, such as the Self-rating Anxiety Scale, Self-rating Depression Scale and Profile of Mood States, were administered. The structured interview demonstrated 29.0% of the patients to have met the criteria for some form of psychiatric disorder, i.e., two for major depression and seven for adjustment disorder (three with depressed mood, two with anxious mood and two with mixed emotional features). Of the remaining 22 patients (71.0%) none met the criteria for psychiatric disorders. Of the five patients who knew their true diagnoses, three were assessed as having adjustment disorder with depressed mood and one as having major depression. Also, among the five patients on chemotherapy, four met the criteria for psychiatric disorders. Adjustment disorders were fewer among Japanese patients with malignant hematological diseases than among patients from previous studies in western countries, which can be explained by the patients' defense mechanism such as 'denial' and/or the less frequent 'truth-telling' in Japan. In addition, since the diagnostic criteria or psychological scales contain physical symptoms, they should be arranged or revised if applied to patients with life-threatening diseases such as hematological malignancies.