RESUMO
PURPOSE: A total laryngectomy (TLE) leads to a variety of functional restrictions, which reduce the quality of life of cancer patients as well as their spouses. However, to date, there is little research focusing on the psychological distress of spouses of total laryngectomised cancer patients. The current study assesses psychological distress, need for psycho-oncological treatment and use of professional psychological care among spouses of total laryngectomised cancer patients. METHODS: A prospective multi-centre cohort study was conducted. Participants were interviewed in person 1, 2 and 3 years subsequent to their spouses' TLE with standardised questionnaires (HADS, Hornheide Screening) and self-designed items. RESULTS: One year after their partners' TLE, 154 spouses were interviewed. Over half of spouses (57 %) reported a high level of psychological distress and 33 % reported restlessness. Majority of spouses (21 %) reported wanting to learn relaxation methods and eight (5 %) had received psychological treatment in the past. Sixty-two spouses took part in the complete study. Over all three time points, psychological distress, the need for psycho-oncological support and the use of professional support among spouses remained stable. The need for additional professional counselling was low. CONCLUSIONS: In view of the stability of psychological distress among half of the spouses within 3 years after TLE and their refusal of professional support, there is a need for the development and evaluation of new treatment strategies to help spouses cope with psychological distress. Our results indicated the most common additional professional need was learning relaxation methods, which may be used as a starting point for the investigation of new coping strategies in future studies.