Psychological Distress of Elderly Cancer Patients: The Role of Social Support and Coping Strategies

Abstract

Cancer diagnosis and treatment is a stressful event that generates psychological distress. Psychological distress covers a wide continuum of emotions, ranging from feeling of sadness and vulnerability to anxiety and depression, which can adversely affect the cancer treatment and recovery, as well as quality of life and mortality rate. Aim: Assess the psychological distress of elderly cancer patients and its associated social support and coping strategies factors. Method: A descriptive correlational design was used. The study was carried out in the oncology outpatient clinics at Oncology Center Mansoura University. A purposive sample of 175 elderly cancer patients was included in the study. Tools: Five tools were used for data collection; Demographic and health-related data structured interview questionnaire, National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire. Results: Age of the studied patients ranged from 60 to 87 years old with a mean age of 66.52±6.35. Females constituted 65.1% and illiteracy was prevailing among the studied subjects. The prevalence of psychological distress was 68.6% (cutoff point ?4 according distress thermometer). Anxiety and depression were common in 85.1 and 81.7% of elderly cancer patients, respectively. Age, social support, avoidance and acceptance-resignation coping style predict 0.36, 0.41, 0.46, and 0.49 respectively of the variability of anxiety. Also, social support and age of the studied patients predict 0.32 and 0.43 of the variability of depression. Conclusion: psychological distress, anxiety and depression were prevailing among elderly cancer patients. Thus, it should be considered by the heath care professionals when caring for those patients especially more frail and vulnerable group as elderly population. The availability of considerable level of social support and effective use of coping strategies appear to have a positive effect on the level of psychological distress in the studied elderly cancer patients. Recommendation: Assessing the psychological distress through stressful times may help in identifying the psychological needs and allow targeted psychological support.