Abstract
Predictive Factors for Suicidal Ideation in Patients With Unresectable Lung Carcinoma: a 6-Month Follow-up Study
Akechi T~~Okamura H~~et al
Japanese patients with newly diagnosed unresectable nonsmall cell lung cancer participated in this study. Suicidal ideation was assessed 6 months after diagnosis. Although strong suicidal ideation was rare, 13 of the 89 subjects who completed baseline & follow-up ratings had some degree of suicidal ideation. Predictive factors of ideation were pain at baseline, declining physical functioning, & the development of a depressive disorder. Comprehensive care including earlier pain management & appropriate psychiatric intervention is indispensable to prevent subsequent suicide ideation. (49 refs.)