Identifying Patients with COPD in Need for Psychosocial Care Through Screening with the HSCL-25 and the CCQ Mental State

High levels of psychological distress are documented in patients with COPD. This study investigates the extent to which patients with a high score on the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) or with a high score on the Mental State scale of the Clinical COPD Questionnaire (CCQ) endorse a need for psychosocial care, and investigates several characteristics of patients with a need. Outpatients with COPD of the Department of Pulmonary Diseases of a University Medical Center were assessed with the HSCL-25, CCQ and a question on need for psychosocial care. For patients indicating a need, the percentage of patients with HSCL-25 >= 39 was compared with the percentage of patients with CCQ Mental State > 2 and tested with a Chi-square. In total 323 patients participated; 57% of them were distressed according to the HSCL-25 (>= 39) and 20% according to the CCQ Mental State (> 2); 28% reported a need for psychosocial care. For patients reporting a need for psychosocial care a higher percentage was identified by the HSCL-25 than by the CCQ Mental State (chi(2) = 9.41, p