Functional Status, Depression, and Family Support in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

두경부암 환자의 기능상태, 우울과 가족지지

Purpose: This study was to identify the levels of functional status, depression, family support and their relationship among those variables in head and neck cancer patients. Method: The subjects were 100 patients with head and neck cancer patients who visited at outpatients clinic in one university hospital in Taegu. The instrument used for this study were Functional Status in Head & Neck Cancer - Self Report Scale developed by Baker(1995), Self-Rating Depression Scale by Zung(1965) and Family support assessment tool by Kang hyun-suk(1984). The data were analysed percentage, mean, t-test, ANOVA and pearson's corelation using SAS program. Result: There was significantly negative correlation between functional status and depression(r=-.71) and between depression and family support(r=-.56). The relationship of functional status and family support was significant as r= .33. Conclusion: It was found that functional status, depression and family support of head and neck cancer patient were closely related each other. Therefore it is necessary to design nursing intervention to enhance family support or decrease depression for improving quality of life in head and neck cancer patient.