Psychosocial Adjustment in Korean Colorectal Cancer Survivors

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: The increasing survival rate of colorectal cancer demands various nursing interventions and continuous care for patients to adapt to their psychosocial daily lives. The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with psychosocial adjustment in colorectal cancer survivors. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive study with face-to-face interviews was conducted of 156 colorectal cancer survivors after surgery visiting an outpatient cancer clinic at a tertiary hospital in S city, Korea. Posttraumatic growth, health-promoting behavior, length of treatment, difficulty in activities of daily living, and having a stoma were entered into the linear regression model. RESULTS: The strongest factor influencing the level of psychosocial adjustment was health-promoting behavior (β=.33, p < .001), followed by difficulty in activities of daily living (β=-.24, p=.001), posttraumatic growth (β=.20, p=.004), and having a stoma (β=-.19, p=.004). CONCLUSION: Nursing interventions for psychosocial adjustment in colorectal cancer survivors need to include the contents for posttraumatic growth, as well as health-promoting behavior, and activities of daily living.