RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: The medical procedures in diagnosing or treating prostate cancer may impair adjustment and quality of life. The current prospective study aimed to evaluate the trajectories of symptoms of ICD-11 adjustment disorder in patients diagnosed vs. non-diagnosed with prostate cancer before (T1), after diagnostic procedures (T2), and at 12-month follow-up (3). METHODS: In total, 96 male patients were recruited before prostate cancer diagnostic procedures. The mean age of the study participants at baseline was 63.5 (SD = 8.4), ranging from 47 to 80 years; 64% were diagnosed with prostate cancer. Adjustment disorder symptoms were measured using the Brief Adjustment Disorder Measure (ADNM-8). RESULTS: The prevalence of ICD-11 adjustment disorder was 15% at T1, 13% at T2, and 3% at T3. The effect of cancer diagnosis was not significant on adjustment disorder. A medium main effect for time was detected on adjustment symptom severity, F(2, 134) = 19.26, p < .001, partial η2 = 0.223, with symptoms significantly lower at 12-month follow-up, compared to T1 and T2, p < .001. CONCLUSIONS: The study's findings reveal the increased levels of adjustment difficulties in males undergoing the diagnostic process of prostate cancer.
