Abstract
Objective: Demoralization is a commonly observed syndrome in cancer patients, deserving to be carefully assessed in cross-cultural contexts. Aims: To examine the factor structure and concurrent and divergent validity of the Italian version of the Demoralization Scale (DS-IT) in cancer patients. Methods: The sample included 194 Italian cancer outpatients who were assessed by using the DS-IT and the Diagnostic Criteria of Psychosomatic Research-Demoralization module to examine demoralization. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to explore depression and the Mini-Mental Adjustment-to-Cancer-Hopelessness/Helplessness scale (Mini-MAC-HH) to explore maladaptive coping were also administered. Results: Four factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis on the DS-IT (disheartenment, α = .87; sense of failure, α = .77; dysphoria, α = .73; loss of meaning/purpose, α = .72; total = 0.91), accounting for 57.1% of the variance. The DS-IT factors shared between 17% and 36% of the variance. Patients reporting a diagnosis of demoralization on the Diagnostic Criteria of Psychosomatic Research-Demoralization module (23.7%) had higher scores on DS-IT loss of meaning/purpose, sense of failure, dysphoria, and DS-IT total. About half of those who were highly demoralized were not depressed and among those who had moderate or moderately severe demoralization, about 80% were not depressed on the PHQ-9. The DS-IT was significantly associated with PHQ-9 and Mini-MAC-HH. Conclusions: The study presents further evidence that demoralization is a significant clinical condition and that the DS-IT demonstrates satisfactory levels of validity and reliability to support its use in patients in the ambulatory cancer setting.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1965-1971 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Psycho-Oncology |
| Volume | 26 |
| Issue number | 11 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Nov 2017 |
Keywords
- Cancer
- Demoralization
- Depression
- Oncology
- Psychiatry
- Psycho-oncology
Cite this
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The factor structure and use of the Demoralization Scale (DS-IT) in Italian cancer patients. / Grassi, Luigi; Costantini, Anna; Kissane, David; Brunetti, Serena; Caruso, Rosangela; Piazza, Giulia; Marchetti, Paolo; Sabato, Silvana; Nanni, Maria Giulia.
In: Psycho-Oncology, Vol. 26, No. 11, 11.2017, p. 1965-1971.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - The factor structure and use of the Demoralization Scale (DS-IT) in Italian cancer patients
AU - Grassi, Luigi
AU - Costantini, Anna
AU - Kissane, David
AU - Brunetti, Serena
AU - Caruso, Rosangela
AU - Piazza, Giulia
AU - Marchetti, Paolo
AU - Sabato, Silvana
AU - Nanni, Maria Giulia
PY - 2017/11
Y1 - 2017/11
N2 - Objective: Demoralization is a commonly observed syndrome in cancer patients, deserving to be carefully assessed in cross-cultural contexts. Aims: To examine the factor structure and concurrent and divergent validity of the Italian version of the Demoralization Scale (DS-IT) in cancer patients. Methods: The sample included 194 Italian cancer outpatients who were assessed by using the DS-IT and the Diagnostic Criteria of Psychosomatic Research-Demoralization module to examine demoralization. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to explore depression and the Mini-Mental Adjustment-to-Cancer-Hopelessness/Helplessness scale (Mini-MAC-HH) to explore maladaptive coping were also administered. Results: Four factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis on the DS-IT (disheartenment, α = .87; sense of failure, α = .77; dysphoria, α = .73; loss of meaning/purpose, α = .72; total = 0.91), accounting for 57.1% of the variance. The DS-IT factors shared between 17% and 36% of the variance. Patients reporting a diagnosis of demoralization on the Diagnostic Criteria of Psychosomatic Research-Demoralization module (23.7%) had higher scores on DS-IT loss of meaning/purpose, sense of failure, dysphoria, and DS-IT total. About half of those who were highly demoralized were not depressed and among those who had moderate or moderately severe demoralization, about 80% were not depressed on the PHQ-9. The DS-IT was significantly associated with PHQ-9 and Mini-MAC-HH. Conclusions: The study presents further evidence that demoralization is a significant clinical condition and that the DS-IT demonstrates satisfactory levels of validity and reliability to support its use in patients in the ambulatory cancer setting.
AB - Objective: Demoralization is a commonly observed syndrome in cancer patients, deserving to be carefully assessed in cross-cultural contexts. Aims: To examine the factor structure and concurrent and divergent validity of the Italian version of the Demoralization Scale (DS-IT) in cancer patients. Methods: The sample included 194 Italian cancer outpatients who were assessed by using the DS-IT and the Diagnostic Criteria of Psychosomatic Research-Demoralization module to examine demoralization. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to explore depression and the Mini-Mental Adjustment-to-Cancer-Hopelessness/Helplessness scale (Mini-MAC-HH) to explore maladaptive coping were also administered. Results: Four factors were extracted by exploratory factor analysis on the DS-IT (disheartenment, α = .87; sense of failure, α = .77; dysphoria, α = .73; loss of meaning/purpose, α = .72; total = 0.91), accounting for 57.1% of the variance. The DS-IT factors shared between 17% and 36% of the variance. Patients reporting a diagnosis of demoralization on the Diagnostic Criteria of Psychosomatic Research-Demoralization module (23.7%) had higher scores on DS-IT loss of meaning/purpose, sense of failure, dysphoria, and DS-IT total. About half of those who were highly demoralized were not depressed and among those who had moderate or moderately severe demoralization, about 80% were not depressed on the PHQ-9. The DS-IT was significantly associated with PHQ-9 and Mini-MAC-HH. Conclusions: The study presents further evidence that demoralization is a significant clinical condition and that the DS-IT demonstrates satisfactory levels of validity and reliability to support its use in patients in the ambulatory cancer setting.
KW - Cancer
KW - Demoralization
KW - Depression
KW - Oncology
KW - Psychiatry
KW - Psycho-oncology
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85017334987&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/pon.4413
DO - 10.1002/pon.4413
M3 - Article
VL - 26
SP - 1965
EP - 1971
JO - Psycho-Oncology
JF - Psycho-Oncology
SN - 1057-9249
IS - 11
ER -