Symptomatic Distress, Hopelessness, and the Desire for Hastened Death in Hospitalized Cancer Patients

This study evaluated the desire for hastened death (DHD) in cancer patients at varying stages of the disease to determine its frequency & relationship to physical & psychological distress. The authors found significant physical & psychological distress in a sample of 224 inpatients with a mean of 9 physical symptoms reported by each subject. 7% reported moderate DHD & 2% reported high DHD. Hopelessness & stage of disease were the only significant independent predictors of DHD & their interaction was associated with increased DHD. (32 refs)