接受放射線治療之腦瘤病患其身心困擾之探討

Physical and Psychological Distress of Brain Tumor Patients Receiving Radiotherapy

本研究的目的在探討接受放射線治療之腦瘤病患，於治療期間症狀困擾與心理困擾程度，及其彼此間之相關性。立意取樣29位某醫學中心放射腫瘤治療門診，正在接受放射線治療的腦瘤病患為研究對象，症狀困擾量表及醫院焦慮與憂鬱量表分別測量身體症狀困擾及心理困擾。研究結果顯示，「視覺障礙」為病患最常發生的症狀，其對病患的困擾程度及擔心程度也最高。心理困擾方面，病患焦慮及憂鬱的比例分別為34.5%及31.0%。病患基本屬性與症狀的發生頻率、困擾程度、擔心程度及焦慮、憂鬱皆無相關。症狀的發生頻率、困擾程度及擔心程度都和焦慮有顯著相關；症狀的發生頻率、困擾程度也和憂鬱有顯著相關，但在症狀的擔心程度上和憂鬱並無相關。研究結果可做為臨床人員針對病患困擾的項目發展解決方法的參考，並建議臨床照護上不僅要針對發生頻率高的症狀來處理，更應注意何種症狀是較困擾病患的或為病患所較擔憂的症狀。

The purpose of this study was to explore the physical and psychological distress of patients with a brain tumor receiving radiotherapy. Purposive sampling was used to collect data from 29 outpatients who were receiving vadiotherapy in a medical center. Symptom distress scale and hospital anxiety and depression scale were used to measure physical symptom distress and psychological distress respectively. Results indicated that visual disorder was the most common symptom and rated as the most distressful and worrisome symptom. For psychological distress, about 34.5% of the patients had anxiety and 31% suffered from depression. However, no correlation was found between demographic characteristics and the frequency of symptom occurrence, the level of symptom distress, the degree of symptom worry, or the level of anxiety and depression. A significant correlation was found between the frequency of symptom occurrence and level of anxiety, the level of symptom distress and anxiety, and the degree of symptom worry and anxiety. Also, a significant correlation was found between the frequency of symptom occurrence and depression and between the level of symptom distress and depression. No significant correlation was found between the degree of symptom worry and depression. Findings can help nurses developing solutions for specific symptoms. It is suggested that nurses not only focus on high occurrence symptoms, but also on those that are most distressful and worrisome to patients.