The application of a shortened version of the profile of mood states in a sample of breast cancer chemotherapy patients

Objectives. The Profile of Mood States (POMS) is a 65-item mood measure with demonstrated reliability and validity; however, its length can be of concern to researchers. The present study investigated the utility of a 37-item shortened version of the POMS (SV-POMS) developed by Shacham (1983). Design. In samples of breast cancer chemotherapy patients (patient group 1) and healthy volunteers, correlations between the subscales of the measures and internal consistencies were examined; these samples were also used to compare mood ratings of healthy women and patients. In another sample of breast cancer chemotherapy patients (patient group 2), the sensitivity to changes in mood of the measures was investigated. Methods. Patient group 1 comprised 114 women; patient group 2 comprised 48 women. Healthy volunteers were 55 women recruited through newspaper advertisements. Results. The correspondence between the measures was demonstrated by significance correlations of the shortened with the full-length scales. Internal consistencies of the measures were comparable. Both measures demonstrated mood differences between patients and volunteers. The responsiveness of the measures to change were comparable as demonstrated by changes in distress scores across chemotherapy infusions. Conclusions. Results suggest that the SV-POMS can be used when participant burden is of concern.