Effects of psychological nursing intervention on personality characteristics and quality of life of patients with esophageal cancer

Abstract

This study examined the effects of a psychological nursing intervention on personality characteristics and quality of life of esophageal cancer patients. Esophageal cancer patients (n=86) were randomized into either an intervention group (n=45) or a control group (n=41). Patients in the control group were given routine nursing care, and those in the intervention group were provided with psychological nursing interventions in addition to routine nursing care. Personality characteristics, assessed through Eysenck Personality Questionnaire, and quality of life, assessed through EORTC QLQ-C30, were compared between the two groups. The results showed that personality characteristics were closely related to quality of life. After the psychological nursing intervention, the main factors were neurosis, psychosis or mood instability, and personality stability. However, introverted and extroverted personality characteristics were not associated with quality of life. The psychological nursing intervention was associated with decreased P-scale and E-scale scores of personality characteristics and improved quality of life in each dimension scored. A psychological nursing intervention can affect the personality characteristics of esophageal cancer patients and improve their quality of life; this approach is worthy of further study and clinical application.