Relationship between psychological status and compliance in a sample of patients treated for cancer of the head and neck

Background The psychological status of patients treated for advanced head and neck cancer is an area of patient care that has not received sufficient attention from caregivers and can be influential in terms of patient outcomes. Methods Thirty patients participated in this study designed to evaluate areas of psychological distress associated with treatment of advanced head and neck cancer. Patients completed a set of questionnaires related to various psychosocial variables including anxiety, depression, social support, health locus of control, adjustment to illness, illness‐related behaviors, and compliance. Results Moderate levels of depression and anxiety, disability, and psychological distress characterize this sample of patients. Additionally, patient self‐report of compliance reveals different variable combinations to be related to overall diet and medication compliance, and different levels of each compliance type were observed. Conclusion Head and neck cancer therapy presents a unique set of challenges for patients. Awareness of the impact of the illness and the psychological distress that are experienced should improve patient compliance and medical outcome. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.