Abstract
Objective: With a prolonged natural history compared with many other cancers, prostate cancer patients have high rates of mental illness over the duration of their treatment. Here, we examine the relationship between personality and mental health distress in a sample of prostate cancer patients. Methods: This study was conducted in the Canadian Maritime provinces, where a cohort of 189 men with prostate cancer were invited to complete a quality-of-life online survey between May 2017 and December 2019. The presence or absence of screening positive for mental health illness was the primary outcome and was assessed using Kessler’s 10-item scale (K10). Urinary symptoms were assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS). The ten-item personality inventory (TIPI) assessed extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability (or neuroticism), and openness to experiences. A multivariate logistic regression model was created to examine the association between personality, urinary symptoms, and mental health distress, while controlling for time from diagnosis, treatment type, age, and multimorbidity. Results: Screening positive for mental illness (18.0%) was associated with personality traits of low levels of emotional stability (OR = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.03–0.20) and moderate to severe urinary problems (OR = 5.21, 95% CI: 1.94–14.05)). There was no identified association between treatment received for prostate cancer and personality type. Conclusion: Screening for mental health illness in this population may help reduce morbidity associated with cancer treatment, as well as identify patients who may be at risk of mental health distress and could benefit from individualized mental health support services. These findings suggest that multidisciplinary care is essential for the management of these patients.
Highlights
With excellent prognostic rates compared with many other cancers, favoring about a 90% survival at 10 years, men with prostate cancer experience a prolonged survivorship period [1]
Personality has previously been examined in oncology patients by Rochefort et al [8], who found that neuroticism was associated with worse physical health and maladaptive health behaviours
This study analyzed 189 men, diagnosed with localized prostate cancer, who were surveyed between May 2017 and December 2019 as part of a Canadian Maritime survey examining the quality of life of prostate cancer survivors
Summary
With excellent prognostic rates compared with many other cancers, favoring about a 90% survival at 10 years, men with prostate cancer experience a prolonged survivorship period [1]. Treatmentrelated adverse effects, cancer-related symptoms, and family support systems, as well as individual personality factors and coping abilities, can all contribute to the development of depression, negatively affecting overall cancer outcomes [2,6]. Personality has previously been examined in oncology patients by Rochefort et al [8], who found that neuroticism (or low emotional stability) was associated with worse physical health and maladaptive health behaviours. Positive aspects of well-being were found to be associated with personality traits while negative aspects of well-being were associated with personality traits and coping strategies among prostate cancer survivors, between one to eight years post-treatment [10]. Neuroticism has been previously identified as being a important personality trait to the response of an individual to health challenges, and may describe an individual’s limited resilience to negative stressors [11]. Deimling et al [14] found that neuroticism was a predictor of cancer-related worry, as well as the strongest predictor of depression in oncology patients
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