Depressive symptoms, social anxiety, and perceived neck function in patients with head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study examined the relationships of depressive symptoms and social anxiety with perceived neck function in patients treated for head and neck cancer.

METHODS: Depressive symptoms, social anxiety, and perceived neck-related function were measured at baseline, posttreatment, every 6 weeks thereafter for 1 year after the end of treatment, and at 15 and 18 months posttreatment. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to generate clusters of patients with similar baseline and trajectories of perceived neck-related function after head and neck cancer treatment.

RESULTS: Participants included 83 subjects who had completed at least 1 follow-up assessment. Three clusters of longitudinal patterns in neck disability were identified: none/mild, moderate, and severe. Significant associations were found between membership in the neck disability index trajectories and membership in the longitudinal patterns of depressive symptoms and social anxiety.

CONCLUSION: Impaired physical function and psychological distress are intertwined for patients with head and neck cancer long after completing treatment.