Disgust and mental health in palliative care patients
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Levels of disgust in palliative care patients and the link between disgust and mental health and physical health outcomes in these patients
IRAS ID
169306
Contact name
Roman Duncko
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 8 days
Research summary
Disgust is an emotion of particular relevance in patients with advanced disease, who have to contend with frequent medical procedures, may have to live with disfiguring disease or treatment or receive treatments associated with overwhelming nausea. Similarly, these patients are likely to experience self-conscious emotions such as self-directed disgust related to emotions of guilt, shame, embarrassment and self-criticism. The emotion of disgust can be associated with development of anxiety disorders and depression and can contribute to increased difficulties overcoming these conditions. Similarly, disgust in patients with advanced illness can interfere with treatments of their physical condition but there are no studies investigating specific aspects of disgust and the relationship between disgust and physical and mental health in palliative care patients. With this study, we plan to refine our understanding of distress occurring in patients receiving palliative care by exploring the role of disgust as a component of their symptomatology. Such improvement in recognising and characterising disgust in this population will offer the potential of improved therapeutic approaches. Patients attending palliative care outpatient service will be invited to participate by completing a set of questionnaires about specific aspects of disgust as well as questionnaires about their mental and physical health, stigma and adjustment problems. The average time needed to complete the set of questionnaires is approximately 1 hour and participants can complete them at home or while waiting at the clinic. In addition to improving our knowledge about the role of disgust in physical and mental health participation in the study will also allow early detection and subsequent treatment of possible anxiety or depression problem in each participant.
REC name
London - Bromley Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1311
Date of REC Opinion
1 Sep 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion