Psychic Factors Determining the Long-Term Adaptation of Colostomy and Ileostomy Patients

Abstract

The long-term psychosocial adaptation of 34 colostomy patients, operated on for rectal or colonic cancer, and 32 ileostomy patients, operated on for colitis ulcerosa, was examined on average 6.5 years after the operation. The methods used were Heidelberg Colostomy Questionnaire, Beck’s Depression Inventory, Block’s Ego Resiliency Scale and the Rorschach Inkblot Test. The results showed that the first pre- and postoperative psychic reactions were particularly strong and similar in both groups but the later adaptation was in every respect better in the ileostomy group. The necessity of guidance and psychic support was obvious.

Psychosocial adaptation to stoma surgery: A review

“…The life-threatening character of cancer could cause an extra psychological burden. Contrary to expectation, little difference is noticed in problems experienced by patients when both types of diseases are compared (Keltikangas-J~irvinen et al, 1984;Follick et al, 1984;Thomas et al, 1984Thomas et al, , 1987a. Only with regard to psychosexual problems did stoma patients treated for cancer consistently report more problems than stoma patients treated for benign diseases (Keltikangas-J~irvinen et al, 1984;van der Wiel et al, 1991).…”

Resilience in adults with cancer: development of a conceptual model

“…Some of the most noteworthy early examples include a 1949 study of family separation and reunion around World War II ; a longitudinal study of nearly 700 children born, many into poverty, in Hawaii in the 1950s ; a study of adults who survived concentration camps ; and research with the offspring of mothers with schizophrenia . It seems the concept of resilience began to appear in the cancer literature in the mid‐1980s, in a study of psychosocial adaptation of patients with colorectal cancer . Over time, how individuals with cancer have coped and thrived has become a common topic in the research literature.…”

Do Geographic and Educational Factors Influence the Quality of Life in Rectal Cancer Patients With a Permanent Colostomy?

“…6,7,11 In this context, it might be possible to explain the controversy in the literature about the impact of a permanent colostomy on patients with this disease. [12][13][14][15] Although many studies described a marked deterioration of QOL 3-7 in patients after the formation of a colostomy, a more recent study by a German working group was able to show significantly better patient Data are medians with ranges in parentheses. Data are medians with ranges in parentheses.…”