Perceptions of emotional and psychosocial state in laryngectomised patients, their significant others and clinicians at three months post-surgery

Abstract

This exploratory study compared the different perceptions of psychosocial adjustment and subjective feelings of well-being in patients who had undergone laryngectomy three months post-surgery, their significant others and the speech pathologists working with them. Patients and their significant others were compared on the scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire, which measures subjective feelings of depression, anxiety, social dysfunction and somatic symptoms. Patients, significant others and their speech pathologists completed the Code-Muller Protocols, which measures each participant's perception of psychosocial adjustment for the patient and optimism for the future. We found no evidence of depression in most patients or significant others, unlike some previous studies, but significant levels of social dysfunction in many patients. We found interactions between a range of variables including levels of anxiety, social dysfunction and somatic symptoms and high levels of shared experience of anxiety in patients and significant others. There was also high congruence between patients, significant others and speech pathologists in their perceptions of psychosocial adjustment for the future.