Prevalence and correlates of psychological distress, unmet supportive care needs, and fear of cancer recurrence among haematological cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Support Care Cancer
; 29(12): 7755-7764, 2021 Dec.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1281279
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on people with haematological cancers, who represent a high-risk population due to the nature of their disease and immunosuppressive treatments. We aimed to identify the psychological impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on haematology patients and identify correlated factors to inform the development of appropriate supportive interventions.METHODS:
Three hundred and ninety-four respondents volunteered their participation in response to a study advertisement distributed online through established haematology groups. Participants completed a self-report online survey exploring wellbeing, psychological distress, unmet supportive care needs, and fear of cancer recurrence.RESULTS:
At least 1 in 3 respondents (35%) reported clinical levels of distress and nearly 1 in 3 (32%) identified at least one unmet need. Among respondents in remission (n = 134), clinical fear of cancer recurrence was reported by nearly all (95%). Unmet needs, pre-existing health conditions, younger age, financial concerns, and perceived risk of contracting COVID-19 were the dominant factors contributing to psychological distress during the pandemic. Psychological distress, lost income, perceived inadequate support from care team, perceived risk of contracting COVID-19, and being a woman were significantly associated with unmet needs. Psychological distress and concern about the impact of COVID-19 on cancer management were significantly associated with fear of cancer recurrence among respondents in remission.CONCLUSION:
Results highlight the high psychological burden and unmet needs experienced by people with haematological cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic and indicate a need for innovative solutions to rapidly identify distress and unmet needs during, and beyond, pandemic times.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Hematologic Neoplasms
/
Psychological Distress
/
COVID-19
/
Neoplasms
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Female
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Support Care Cancer
Journal subject:
Neoplasms
/
Health Services
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
S00520-021-06369-5
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