Abstract
BackgroundThe 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.MethodsThree 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.ResultsAt 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.ConclusionResults 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.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00520-021-06369-5.
Highlights
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges for those with cancer, with members of this population subgroup at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and experiencing severe complications or death from the virus [1]
This study aimed to identify the psychological issues experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic by haematological cancer patients and to identify correlated factors to inform the development of appropriate interventions
We found a high prevalence of psychological distress and unmet supportive care needs, which was much higher than results obtained from two previous studies involving Australian haematology patients during non-pandemic times [24, 25]
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented many challenges for those with cancer, with members of this population subgroup at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 and experiencing severe complications or death from the virus [1] Due to these vulnerabilities, powerful health messages have stressed the higher risk posed to cancer patients and many cancer treatments have been modified or delayed to minimise patients’ exposure to COVID-19 [2]. In Australia, the context of the present study, cancer hospitals reported a 40% decline in patient presentations for cancer management appointments during the pandemic [4], similar to reductions reported in other countries [5, 6] These figures are concerning given recently published research indicates that delaying curative treatment by just 1 month increases cancer patients’ risk of death by as much as 10% [7]. 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
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