Resilience in Long-Term Cancer Survivors - Associations with Psychological Distress and Sociodemographic Characteristics

Abstract

Resilience is considered as a resource in coping with psychological distress and traumatic experiences and plays an increasing role in psycho-oncology research. The aim of the study is to analyse the resilience in long-term cancer survivors depending on depression, anxiety, sociodemographic and disease-related factors and to compare with the general population. Our study includes data from 972 patients (53% male, mean age=67 years, 25% prostate cancer, 22% breast cancer) 5 or 10 years after cancer diagnosis via the local cancer registry (RKKL). We analysed resilience (RS-11), depression (PHQ-9) and anxiety (GAD-7). The resilience did not differ significantly between 5 and 10 years after diagnosis (5 years after diagnosis: M=58.5 / 10 years after diagnosis: 59.0; p=0.631). Significant connections between higher levels of resilience and lower levels of depression (beta=0.307; p<0.001), marital status (married, beta=0.080; p=0.016), higher levels of education (beta=0.101; p=0.002) and employment status (employed, beta=0.087; 0.008) could be shown. 20% of variance in resilience could be explained by the independent variables. The results indicate that resilience is a stable trait, which is connected with particular values or combinations of values. Lower levels of resilience are associated with unsupported single patients, unemployed patients and patients with lower socioeconomic status. Patients with lower levels of resilience and higher risk for psychological distress can be detected earlier. Especially patients with lower levels of resilience need long- range support to cope with the cancer disease and should be included in Cancer- Survivorship-Care-Plans.