Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

One-minute time interval estimation as a novel potent indicator of emotional concerns in cancer patients prior to starting chemotherapy

  • Published:
Current Psychology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Our study explored the potential relationship between time estimation and issues that lead to distress in cancer patients prior to starting chemotherapy. Time estimation was assessed in 375 chemonaïve patients with solid tumors by evaluating each subject’s prospective estimation of how quickly one minute passed compared to the actual time. The median estimated value (40 s) was used to stratify the patients into the two categories of fast and slow time estimation. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer (DT) and Problem List (PL) were used at the beginning of treatment to evaluate levels of distress and patient concerns. A fast time estimation correlated significantly with gender and items reported in the emotional domain on the PL. Females exhibited significantly faster time estimation than males. Patients who reported fear, worry and loss of interest in usual activities estimated the one-minute interval significantly faster than patients who did not report such items. In the multivariate logistic regression model, patients who experienced fast time estimation had a higher risk of reporting items in the emotional domain. Time estimation is a novel potent indicator of emotional concerns on the PL. This test is an easily performed, time-saving, nonintrusive, ultrashort screening tool that is suitable even for patients who are not willing to reveal their emotional status via direct questionnaires.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Baum, S. K., Boxley, R. L., & Sokolowski, M. (1984). Time perception and psychological well-being in the elderly. Psychiatric Quarterly, 56(1), 54–61.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bellè, M., Muzzatti, B., Tomas, M., & Gherlinzoni, F. (2016). Psychological screening of onco-hematologic inpatients: Distress thermometer administration. Tumori Journal, 102(2), 178–183.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, S. W., & Stubbs, D. A. (1988). The psychophysics of retrospective and prospective timing. Perception, 17(3), 297–310.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruss, F. T., & Rüschendorf, L. (2010). On the perception of time. Gerontology, 56(4), 361–370.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Conev, N. V., Donev, I. S., & Stoyanov, D. S. (2019). One-minute time interval estimation as a novel ultrashort tool for distress screening. Supportive Care in Cancer, 27(6), 2031–2037.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Essen, L. V., Larsson, G., Öberg, K., & Sjödén, P. O. (2002). ‘Satisfaction with care’: Associations with health-related quality of life and psychosocial function among Swedish patients with endocrine gastrointestinal tumours. European Journal of Cancer Care, 11(2), 91–99.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fallowfield, L., Ratcliffe, D., Jenkins, V., & Saul, J. (2001). Psychiatric morbidity and its recognition by doctors in patients with cancer. British Journal of Cancer, 84(8), 1011–1015.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fisch, M. (2004). Treatment of depression in cancer. JNCI Monographs, 2004(32), 105–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Foley, H., & Matlin, M. (2015). Sensation and perception. Psychology press.

  • Fraisse, P. (1984). Perception and estimation of time. Annual Review of Psychology, 35(1), 1–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Funk, R., Cisneros, C., Williams, R. C., Kendall, J., & Hamann, H. A. (2016). What happens after distress screening? Patterns of supportive care service utilization among oncology patients identified through a systematic screening protocol. Supportive Care in Cancer, 24(7), 2861–2868.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hegel, M. T., Moore, C. P., Collins, E. D., Kearing, S., Gillock, K. L., Riggs, R. L., Clay, K. F., & Ahles, T. A. (2006). Distress, psychiatric syndromes, and impairment of function in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer. Cancer, 107(12), 2924–2931.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Herschbach, P., Keller, M., Knight, L., Brandl, T., Huber, B., Henrich, G., & Marten-Mittag, B. (2004). Psychological problems of cancer patients: A cancer distress screening with a cancer-specific questionnaire. British Journal of Cancer, 91(3), 504–511.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holland, J. C. (1997). Preliminary guidelines for the treatment of distress. Oncology (Williston Park, NY), 11(11A), 109–114.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs, J. M., Pensak, N. A., Sporn, N. J., MacDonald, J. J., Lennes, I. T., Safren, S. A., Pirl, W. F., Temel, J. S., & Greer, J. A. (2017). Treatment satisfaction and adherence to oral chemotherapy in patients with cancer. Journal of Oncology Practice, 13(5), e474–e485.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jacobsen, P. B., Donovan, K. A., Trask, P. C., Fleishman, S. B., Zabora, J., Baker, F., & Holland, J. C. (2005). Screening for psychologic distress in ambulatory cancer patients: A multicenter evaluation of the distress thermometer. Cancer, 103(7), 1494–1502.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kennard, B. D., Stewart, S. M., Olvera, R., Bawdon, R. E., Lewis, C. P., & Winick, N. J. (2004). Nonadherence in adolescent oncology patients: Preliminary data on psychological risk factors and relationships to outcome. Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings, 11(1), 31–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McGregor, B. A., & Antoni, M. H. (2009). Psychological intervention and health outcomes among women treated for breast cancer: A review of stress pathways and biological mediators. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, 23(2), 159–166.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mehnert, A., Hartung, T. J., Friedrich, M., Vehling, S., Brähler, E., Härter, M., et al. (2018). One in two cancer patients is significantly distressed: Prevalence and indicators of distress. Psycho-oncology, 27(1), 75–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, A. J. (2010). Short screening tools for cancer-related distress: A review and diagnostic validity meta-analysis. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, 8(4), 487–494.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, A. J., Chan, M., Bhatti, H., Halton, M., Grassi, L., Johansen, C., & Meader, N. (2011). Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorder in oncological, haematological, and palliative-care settings: A meta-analysis of 94 interview-based studies. The Lancet Oncology, 12(2), 160–174.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network. (2019). Distress Management (Version 3.2019). https://www.nccn.org/professionals/physician_gls/pdf/distress.pdf. Accessed June 9 2019.

  • Newell, S. A., Sanson-Fisher, R. W., & Savolainen, N. J. (2002). Systematic review of psychological therapies for cancer patients: Overview and recommendations for future research. Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 94(8), 558–584.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peduzzi, P., Concato, J., Kemper, E., Holford, T. R., & Feinstein, A. R. (1996). A simulation study of the number of events per variable in logistic regression analysis. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 49(12), 1373–1379.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Skarstein, J., Aass, N., Fosså, S. D., Skovlund, E., & Dahl, A. A. (2000). Anxiety and depression in cancer patients: Relation between the hospital anxiety and depression scale and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Core quality of life questionnaire. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 49(1), 27–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, H. R. (2015). Depression in cancer patients: Pathogenesis, implications and treatment. Oncology Letters, 9(4), 1509–1514.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Steele, R., & Fitch, M. I. (2008). Why patients with lung cancer do not want help with some needs. Supportive Care in Cancer, 16(3), 251–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuinman, M. A., Gazendam-Donofrio, S. M., & Hoekstra-Weebers, J. E. (2008). Screening and referral for psychosocial distress in oncologic practice: Use of the distress thermometer. Cancer: Interdisciplinary International Journal of the American Cancer Society, 113(4), 870–878.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van Laarhoven, H. W., Schilderman, J., Verhagen, C. A., & Prins, J. B. (2011). Time perception of cancer patients without evidence of disease and advanced cancer patients in a palliative, end-of-life-care setting. Cancer Nursing, 34(6), 453–463.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • VanHoose, L., Black, L. L., Doty, K., Sabata, D., Twumasi-Ankrah, P., Taylor, S., & Johnson, R. (2015). An analysis of the distress thermometer problem list and distress in patients with cancer. Supportive Care in Cancer, 23(5), 1225–1232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wearden, J. H. (2004). Decision processes in models of timing. Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis, 64(3), 303–318.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wittmann, M., & Lehnhoff, S. (2005). Age effects in perception of time. Psychological Reports, 97(3), 921–935.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zabora, J., BrintzenhofeSzoc, K., Curbow, B., Hooker, C., & Piantadosi, S. (2001). The prevalence of psychological distress by cancer site. Psycho-oncology, 10(1), 19–28.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zakay, D. (1990). The evasive art of subjective time measurement: Some methodological dilemmas.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zakay, D., & Block, R. A. (1997). Temporal cognition. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 6(1), 12–16.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ziegler, L., Hill, K., Neilly, L., Bennett, M. I., Higginson, I. J., Murray, S. A., et al. (2011). Identifying psychological distress at key stages of the cancer illness trajectory: A systematic review of validated self-report measures. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 41(3), 619–636.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Ivan Shterev Donev, Dragomir Svetozarov Stoyanov and Teodorika Vitalinova Panayotova contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Clinic of Medical Oncology, MHAT “Nadezhda,”, “Blaga vest” str.3, Sofia, Bulgaria

    Ivan Shterev Donev

  2. Clinic of Medical Oncology, UMHAT “St. Marina,”, Varna, Bulgaria

    Dragomir Svetozarov Stoyanov, Teodorika Vitalinova Panayotova, Martina Stoyanova Ivanova & Nikolay Vladimirov Conev

  3. Department of Propedeutics of Internal Diseases, Medical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria

    Dragomir Svetozarov Stoyanov, Teodorika Vitalinova Panayotova, Yavor Kostadinov Kashlov & Nikolay Vladimirov Conev

  4. Department of Nursing Care, Medical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria

    Martina Stoyanova Ivanova

  5. Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Varna, Varna, Bulgaria

    Merlin Erol Efraim

Authors
  1. Ivan Shterev Donev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dragomir Svetozarov Stoyanov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Teodorika Vitalinova Panayotova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Martina Stoyanova Ivanova
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yavor Kostadinov Kashlov
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Merlin Erol Efraim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Nikolay Vladimirov Conev
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ivan Shterev Donev.

Ethics declarations

Ethical Approval

“All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.”

Informed Consent

For this type of study, formal informed consent documentation was not required. Verbal consent was obtained.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Donev, I.S., Stoyanov, D.S., Panayotova, T.V. et al. One-minute time interval estimation as a novel potent indicator of emotional concerns in cancer patients prior to starting chemotherapy. Curr Psychol 40, 3997–4003 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00362-2

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-019-00362-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation