Mental distress evaluation and intervention for cancer patients

Mental distress is prevalent among cancer patients. Many measurements have been developed to screen and evaluate such distress. About one-third of the persons with cancer will experience significant levels of distress, requiring targeted psychosocial intervention. Mental distress has been endorsed as the sixth vital sign by the International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS) in 2009. The need for effective screening and psychological interventions is well recognized as a necessary, integral part of oncology care. This systematic review examines the psychometric properties of the existing tools used to screen patients for emotional distress and the applicable intervention methods.