Abstract
A review of the literature indicates a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients with pancreatic carcinoma compared with nonclinical populations. The aims of this study were to evaluate the tripartite model for assessing symptoms of depression and anxiety and develop a Chinese version of the Mood and Anxiety Symptoms Questionnaire-Short Form (MASQ-SF) in patients with pancreatic cancer. The final sample consisted of 1,029 patients with pancreatic cancer. In line with our hypothesis, results of confirmatory factor analysis suggest that the three factors identified fit the hypothesized tripartite model well. The Chinese version of the MASQ-SF also exhibited high internal consistency. Reliability of the three scales was excellent with all scores greater than .79. Cronbach's alpha for the total MASQ-SF was .88. The 1-month test-retest reliability was .80. Correlation coefficients among the three subscales ranged from .36 to .75. Thus, the Chinese version of the MASQ-SF exhibited high levels of reliability and validity, indicating that the Chinese version of the MASQ-SF is appropriate for assessing symptoms of depression and anxiety in patients with pancreatic cancer. The use of this instrument may help researchers to better measure depression and anxiety in patients with pancreatic cancer and consequently develop appropriate prevention and treatment interventions.