Psychological Well-being Of Cancer Patients Research Articles

One-to-one peer-coaching for patients with cancer — results of a pilot study

PurposeCancer is a life threatening disease with negative impact on quality of life and psychological well-being. In international studies, one-to-one peer support and counseling have been shown to improve the psychological well-being of cancer patients. In the study presented, we developed and evaluated an innovative program of peer-coaching. In this program at the University Hospital of Freiburg, cancer survivors were trained to support peers by sharing experience.MethodsIn the project, N = 25 cancer survivors were trained to conduct supportive one-to-one conversations with acute patients or patients in aftercare. Based on a prospective observational study, patients were interviewed using questionnaires before and after the conversations. We assessed expectations and experiences with the peer-coaching as well as psychosocial parameters (PHQ9, GAD7, SSUK, NCCN-distress thermometer).ResultsA total of 52 patients had at least one contact with a peer-coach. Most of the patients attended 1–3 sessions. In total, 85 contacts pairing peer-coaches with patients were conducted. Patients showed on average a high level of distress but a low rate of psychiatric comorbidity. The supportive conversations met the patients` needs. Sharing experiences and empowerment were the most relevant benefits for the patients. Both patients and trained peers showed high satisfaction levels with the program.ConclusionOur findings support the feasibility and utility of a peer-coaching program in which trained cancer survivors, acting as peer-coaches, support other patients during or after their oncological treatment. In a further study, the efficacy of peer-coaching should be investigated based on a randomized-controlled trial.Trial registrationThe trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register (No. DRKS DRKS00017500) on 12.12.2019.

Self-Compassion dan Psychological Well-Being pada Pasien Kanker

This study aims to examine the relationship between self-compassion and the psychological well-being of cancer patients. The method used in this research is a systematic review, where we conducted journal searches in the ScienceDirect, PubMed, ProQuest, Springer, and EBSCOhost databases using the keywords' cancer patients', 'psychological well-being, 'and 'self-compassion. ' The research results show that self-compassion influences levels of depression, stress, anxiety, quality of life, body image disturbance, body shame, stigma, and other things that affect the psychology of cancer patients. In conclusion, there is a relationship between self-compassion and psychological well-being in cancer patients.This study aims to examine the relationship between self-compassion and the psychological well-being of cancer patients. The method used in this research is a systematic review, where we conducted journal searches in the ScienceDirect, PubMed, ProQuest, Springer, and EBSCOhost databases using the keywords' cancer patients', 'psychological well-being, 'and 'self-compassion. ' The research results show that self-compassion influences levels of depression, stress, anxiety, quality of life, body image disturbance, body shame, stigma, and other things that affect the psychology of cancer patients. In conclusion, there is a relationship between self-compassion and psychological well-being in cancer patients. Keywords: Cancer Patients, Psychological Well-Being, Self-Compassion

EFFECT OF YOGIC INTERVENTION ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING AMONG CANCER PATIENTS

The main purpose of this research was to study the effect of yogic intervention on the psychological well-being of cancer patients, to gender and area of residence. A total of 60 cancer patients participated in the study, 30 male and 30 female, who were then divided into two groups of 30 each, urban and rural. The Psychological Well-Being Scale by Pooja Chaudhary and Devendra Singh Sisodiya was administered to all participants before and after the yogic intervention. A t-test was used to analyze the data, and the results revealed that yogic intervention had a significant effect on the psychological wellbeing of all participants, regardless of gender or area of residence.

Level of anxiety among children with cancer and their parents in Riyadh City

Objective: This study aimed to assess the anxiety levels of children with cancer and their parents following admission to the Military Hospital in Riyadh City.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a proforma between May 2019 to July 2019. Data collection involved the utilization of two tools. The first tool was a structured interview questionnaire design for children, while the second tool was intended for the parents of the children. The study sample comprised children and their parents who accompanied the child during hospitalization and chemotherapy. Approximately 74 children, aged 6-14 years old, diagnosed with cancer and admitted to the Riyadh Military Hospital, were enrolled in this study using convenience consecutive sampling.Results: A total of 148 individuals participated in this study. Seventy-four parents were enrolled, with 68.9% being mothers and 31.1% fathers. Among the parents in the study, 29.7% experienced severe anxiety, 41.9% reported a moderate level of anxiety, and 20.3% had a low level of anxiety. Seventy-four children were included in the study sample, with 48.6% being boys and 51.4% girls. Among the children, 37.8% exhibited high levels of anxiety, 41.9% displayed moderate anxiety, and 20.3% reported low levels of anxiety. Additionally, a relationship was observed between the anxiety levels of parents and the anxiety levels of their children.Conclusions: This study revealed that both children with cancer and their parents are experiencing moderate to severe levels of anxiety. The psychological well-being of cancer patients and their families is not a topic to be overlooked; rather, it is an important subject that requires attention and consideration.

Оцінка ефективності програми психокорекції для пацієнток із впершеніагностованою онкологічною патологією

The article presents the author's vision of the problem of providing psychological assistance to cancer patients in the process of consultative interaction and complex psychocorrective influence. There are outlined relationships between coping strategies and psychological well-being of cancer patients. There was compared the impact of standard psychological interviews to complex psychocorrective measures developed on the basis of data obtained during the first stage of the study. There were found changes in the psycho-emotional state, the level of adaptation to the disease and the quality of life of the patients, based on quantitative and qualitative psychodiagnostic methods. There has been established the specific elements of the psychocorrection program, which are the most effective for improving the psychological state and adaptation of patients, have been identified, as the interaction of these elements with the individual characteristics of each research participant. There were demonstrated significant improvements in quality of life indicators and a decrease in the feeling of helplessness among the participants of the research group. As a result of the obtained results, it was established that psychological correction is an important component in a comprehensive approach to the treatment and rehabilitation of patients with oncological diseases. There was emphasized the need for further implementation and development of psychocorrective programs to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and ensure their effective psychoemotional support. There has been proven the importance of integrating psychological support into the general plan of treatment and rehabilitation of cancer patients. Conclusions Based on the results of the data analysis, important conclusions can be drawn regarding the positive impact of psychological correction on the quality of life and reducing the feeling of helplessness among the study participants. It was found that the participants of the research group, who underwent complex psychocorrective interventions, demonstrated a significant improvement in "Quality of life" indicators and a decrease in the feeling of "Helplessness" compared to the control group. This indicates the importance of psychological support in the complex treatment and rehabilitation of cancer patients. It is worth noting that the conduct of such studies has certain methodological limitations, in particular, in relation to the selection of participants and the assessment of the long-term effects of psychocorrective interventions. Therefore, in order to deepen the understanding of the studied phenomena, further studies with a larger number of participants and longer observation of their condition are needed.

A Pilot Study of Narrative Art Therapy on Psychological Wellbeing of Cancer Patients

The present study aimed to make a new Psychological approach for cancer patients and investigate possibility and utility of it as a pilot study. We made a Narrative Art Therapy, which is an approach integrated narrative therapy with art therapy. They participated the Narrative Art Therapy in which they made arts and narrated their lives including illness. They completed the S-WHO-5-J to measure mental health, the Subject Happiness Scale, and the Self-Compassion Scale pre and post the therapy. Eight cancer patients under chemotherapy participated with the study and six completed. A completion rate was 75%. The S-WHO-5-J score increased from 8.5 to 9.5. The Subjective Happiness score increased from 4.94 to 5.50. Moreover, the Self-Compassion score increased from 41.7 to 48.7. These results suggest that Narrative Art Therapy has possibility to conduct for cancer patients and utility on mental health, subjective happiness, and self-compassion of them.

Peningkatkan Kesejahteraan Psikologi Pasien Kanker pada Akhir Kehidupan dengan Intervensi Dignity Therapy

This study aims to improve the psychological well-being of cancer patients at the End of life with dignity therapy interventions. The research method used is a systematic review. The search uses six databases, namely: Science Direct, Proquest, Clinicalkey Nursing, Springerlink, Scopus, and Pubmed, from the keywords set End of life, dignity therapy, improving psychological well-being, impact dignity therapy, and the effect of dignity therapy—data obtained from as many as 1,313 articles. The results showed that in seven reviewed journals, Dignity Therapy effectively reduced anxiety and distress and increased psychological well-being in advanced cancer patients. In conclusion, dignity therapy can be used as an option in providing patient care at the End of life to improve the psychological well-being of patients and their families
 Keywords: Dignity Therapy, Cancer, Psychological Welfare

Psychological Well-Being of Cancer Patients before and during the Pandemic: The Impact of COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress

This study aimed to evaluate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cancer patients. Ninety cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy with antiblastics were recruited from a tertiary medical center and completed a battery of standardized questionnaires to assess anxiety, depression, peritraumatic stress, and quality of life before and during the pandemic. Quality of life worsened significantly during the pandemic compared with the pre-pandemic period. Anxiety and depression levels also increased significantly during the pandemic. COVID-19 peritraumatic distress significantly predicted lower quality-of-life scores during the pandemic. COVID-19 distress affected the overall quality of life of patients who already had lower levels of quality of life before the pandemic and who had advanced cancers. Cancer patients must receive adequate support from psychiatrists and psychologists to mitigate the psychological distress related to the pandemic.

Spiritual Intervention to Improve Psychological Wellbeing on Cancer Patient: A Scoping Review

Cancer occurs due to the addition of mass in body cells that can spread and cause death. The problems arising from cancer are physical, psychological, and spiritual problems. Spiritual intervention is essential and valuable as one of the treatment efforts in dealing with issues caused by cancer. However, there are obstacles where nurses still need to be exposed to much information about spiritual intervention. The purpose of this study was to obtain an overview of spiritual intervention in cancer patients. This study uses the Scoping Review method. Literature review through Ebsco, Pubmed, Science Direct, and Sage Journals databases. The keywords used in English are Cancer, Spiritual intervention,” AND “Spiritual needs OR spiritual experience OR spirituality”. The criteria for articles in this study are full text, free access, randomized control trial or quasi-experiment research design, English language, population and samples of cancer patients, and the publication period of the last ten years (2013-2022). Found ten articles with different spiritual interventions on cancer patients. Two papers with mindfulness intervention, an article with a spiritual counselling intervention, 3 with spiritual intervention, 2 with spiritual therapy intervention, and 2 with spiritual care intervention. Five spiritual interventions for cancer patients can overcome problems caused by cancer, namely mindfulness, spiritual counselling, spiritual intervention, spiritual therapy, and spiritual care. Spiritual counselling is a very effective intervention because it is carried out intensively and comprehensively to maximize the psychological well-being of cancer patients.

Psychological well-being and death anxiety among breast cancer survivors during the Covid-19 pandemic: the mediating role of self-compassion

BackgroundDespite the abundance of clinical data available for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), little research on the psychological well-being of breast cancer survivors has been published. We investigate the extent to which self-compassion accounted for the association between psychological well-being (depression, anxiety) and death anxiety in breast cancer survivors.MethodsA cross-sectional study design was applied. Participants were recruited from three departments of oncology in Zanjan, Iran. Data were collected from 210 breast cancer patients. Participants completed self-report measures. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship among the study variables. Bootstrapping analyses were used to test the significance of indirect effects.ResultsCorrelational analyses revealed that depression and anxiety were significantly and positively related to death anxiety (r = 0.77, p < 0.01; r = 0.85, p < 0.01, respectively) and negatively to self-compassion (r = − 0.48, p < 0.01; r = − 0.53, p < 0.01, respectively). Bootstrapping analyses revealed significant indirect effects of depression (β = 0.065, SE = 0.35, p < 0.03, 95% CI [LL = − 0.0083, UL: − 0.1654]) and anxiety (β = 0.089, SE = 0.09, p < 0.04, 95% CI [LL = − 0.0247, UL: − 0.1987]) on death anxiety through self-compassion.ConclusionsFindings from this study indicate that self-compassion may be considered as one treatment strategy to improve psychological well-being of cancer patients in the new context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oncofertility: the importance of counseling for fertility preservation in cancer patients.

Scientific and technological advances in the diagnosis of neoplastic disease and the introduction of increasingly accurate and personalized anti-cancer treatments have significantly improved the chances of survival of most cancer patients, particularly at a young age. Since the interest of the research community in the life prospects of young cancer survivors has been growing, a new branch of medicine has emerged in recent years that reconciles the potentially gonadotoxic treatments of cancer with the preservation of fertility: oncofertility. The possibility of preserving one's fertility can be of great benefit for the psychological well-being of cancer patients, whose mental health is already severely tested by the cancer diagnosis. Although national and international guidelines urge doctors to start early a discussion on fertility conservation issues (reproductive counseling), still little is known as to the awareness of oncofertility by young cancer survivors and the information they receive about it.

Effects of supervised aerobic exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness and patient-reported health outcomes in colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy\u2014a pilot study

PurposeColorectal cancer and its treatment are associated with debilitating side effects. Exercise may improve the physical and psychological wellbeing of cancer patients; however, evidence in colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy is limited. This pilot study aimed to explore the effects of supervised aerobic exercise on cardiorespiratory fitness and patient-reported health outcomes in colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy.MethodsPatients who had undergone curative resection for colorectal cancer (stages II–III) and were scheduled to receive adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled into this non-randomized controlled trial. Patients in the intervention group (IG) took part in a 6-month supervised aerobic exercise program, while the control group (CG) received usual care. Cardiorespiratory fitness (measured by peak oxygen consumption) was assessed at baseline and 6 months. Fatigue, quality of life, and physical activity levels were additionally assessed at 3 months.ResultsIn total, 59 patients (33 in IG vs. 26 in CG) were enrolled into this study. Eighteen patients (9 in IG vs. 9 in CG) dropped out of the study prior to the 6-month follow-up. Significant improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness (p = .002) and selected patient-reported health outcomes, such as reduced motivation (p = .015) and mental fatigue (p = .018), were observed in the IG when compared to the CG.ConclusionTo our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the effects of a supervised aerobic exercise program in colorectal cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy. The significant and clinically meaningful improvements in CRF warrant further randomized controlled trials to confirm these findings.Trials registrationGerman Clinical Trials Register Identifier: DRKS00005793, 11/03/2014, retrospectively registered.

Dispositional Mindfulness, Perceived Stress, and Mental Well-Being in the Cancer Survivorship

The present study aims to investigate how dispositional mindfulness affects the mental well-being of cancer patients through the way they perceive stress. A total of 182 moderate and advanced gastrointestinal cancer patients volunteered to complete the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). Results showed that perceived stress significantly mediated the relationship between dispositional mindfulness and all dimensions of the mental well-being as captured by the GHQ (i.e. anxiety/depression, social dysfunction, and loss of confidence), and perceived stress was positively correlated with all the dimensions of mental well-being. Results of the Structural Equation Model showed that the model fit the data very well (χ2/df = 1.72，RMSEA = 0.063 (95% CI = 0.014 ~ 0.103), CFI = 0.984, TLI = 0.970, SRMR=0.041). Further analyses showed that dispositional mindfulness predicted all the dimensions of psychological well-being. Specifically, higher levels of dispositional mindfulness predicted reduced subjective perceptions of stress, which in turn predicted lower levels of anxiety/depression, social impairment, and loss of confidence. This study indicated a possible mechanism of intervention focused on improving mindfulness capability. Future work is encouraged to investigate the long-term influence of dispositional mindfulness on perceived stress and psychological well-being in cancer patients with other types of cancer.

Influence of family income and medical insurance coverage on health-related quality of life and optimism in cancer patients at a Hong Kong private hospital: A cross-sectional study.

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) and optimism are important health domains that express the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of cancer patients. Previous studies have explored income and medical insurance coverage as predictors of their well-being with the aim to better understand their financial needs. The primary objective of this study was to examine the associations in the private health sector in Hong Kong. The study was conducted cross-sectionally with a structured questionnaire in traditional Chinese. HRQL was assessed with the RAND 12-item Health Survey, and optimism was assessed with the Life Orientation Test. The two primary predictors were family income and medical insurance coverage. The associations were tested using logistic regression, controlling for other sociodemographic and clinical covariates. A total of 428 questionnaires were used in the regression model. After adjusting for other covariates, no significant association was observed with family income as the predictor. Medical insurance coverage was a significant and positive predictor of optimism with odds ratio of 2.30 and 95% confidence interval of 1.30 to 4.05 for the group with the most coverage with little to no coverage as the reference group. The significant association between medical insurance coverage and optimism might be an indication that the medical cost was a financial burden to many cancer patients in Hong Kong. In addition to their medical needs, cancer support organization and health care practitioners must be able to recognize and assist with the financial needs of the cancer patients.

Abstract 3292: Prevalence and socio-behavioral determinants of psychological distress among cancer patients and survivors in the United States, 2010-2015

Abstract Background: Cancer patients face many unique physical and mental health challenges that directly affect their cancer outcome and quality of life. As cancer treatment improves, the prevalence of long-term cancer survivors increases. However, the psychological well-being of cancer survivors has been largely understudied, which may lead to missed opportunities to improve cancer survivorship. Methods: Using 2010-2015 National Health Interview Surveys (N=194,757), we examined the prevalence of psychological distress among 17,657 adult cancer patients and survivors and identified the socio-demographic and behavioral correlates in the United States. Differentials in serious psychological distress (SPD, defined by a 6-item scale) and factor-based psychological distress scores (a composite index with a mean of 100 to measure levels of psychological distress) were analyzed by multivariate linear and logistic regression models. Results: The prevalence of SPD among cancer patients was 4.7% (95% CI: 4.2, 5.1), compared with 3.3% (95% CI: 3.1, 3.4) for the general population without a cancer history or diagnosis. The SPD prevalence was significantly higher among patients diagnosed with stomach, ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers than the non-cancer population (age-adjusted odds ratio: 3.2, 3.1, 2.9, 2.7, respectively). Patients diagnosed with lung, colorectal, and thyroid cancer also reported significantly higher levels of psychological distress. SPD prevalence and distress index scores were substantially higher among American Indian/Alaska Native, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic (NH) Black cancer patients, compared with NH whites with cancer. Prevalence and levels of psychological distress were significantly greater among cancer patients with low education and income levels, non-professional occupations, unmarried status, functional limitation, and among smokers and physically inactive patients. Conclusions: Our findings underscore the importance of addressing the psychological well-being of cancer patients and survivors, particularly among the high-risk groups, in order to achieve the best treatment outcome and quality of life among the increasing number of cancer survivors. Citation Format: Gopal K. Singh, Lihua Liu, Audrey L. Chai, Alexander Ung, Michelle Allender. Prevalence and socio-behavioral determinants of psychological distress among cancer patients and survivors in the United States, 2010-2015 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3292.

Effect of Partners' Disgust Responses on Psychological Wellbeing in Cancer Patients.

The aim of this study was to explore quantitatively the relationship between disgust responses in cancer patients and their partners, and in turn their relationship to patients' psychological well-being. We recruited 50 participants with heterogeneous cancer diagnoses and their partners from cancer-related groups (e.g., charities). Patients completed questionnaires to determine levels of disgust propensity, disgust sensitivity, self-disgust, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Disgust propensity and sensitivity were also assessed in their partners. Partners' disgust sensitivity was significantly positively correlated with cancer patients' self-disgust, disgust propensity, and depression. Path analyses suggested that patients' self-disgust plays a role in mediating the effect of partners' disgust sensitivity on patients' psychological well-being. This study provides the first quantitative evidence that psychological well-being in cancer patients is contingent on their partners' sensitivity to disgust, and that patients' self-disgust plays a mediating role. Focusing therapeutically on disgust responses could well be beneficial to people with cancer.

The Relationship Between Spiritual Intelligence and Psychological Well-Being in Women with Breast Cancer

Background: As crisis caused by cancer results in imbalances and inconsistencies in body and mind as well as many psychological problems in patient’s life, spiritual intelligence is a critical source to increase resistance to the disease. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between spiritual intelligence and psychological well-being in women with breast cancer in Babol. Methods: This descriptive-correlational study was conducted in the spring 2016 on 90 women with breast cancer referring for treatment to Shahid Rajaei hospital of Babolsar, and Ayatollah Rouhani and the counseling center for cancer registry of Babol. Demographic characteristics of patients such as age, marital status, education, occupation, place of residence (urban or rural), and duration of illness were recoded. In addition, two questionnaires of spiritual intelligence self-report inventory (SISRI-24) and Brief Reef Well-Being (18 questions) were used. Results: The results showed that the mean score of spiritual intelligence was 69.90 ± 14.13 (range of 0 - 98) and the mean score of psychological well-being was 75.01 ± 12.10 (range of 1 - 108). There was a significant relationship between spiritual intelligence and psychological well-being (r = 0.47). The results of multiple regression analysis showed that spiritual intelligence predicted 22% of variance of psychological well-being. Among the demographic characteristics, only the relationship between education and psychological well-being was significant (r = 0.2). Based on the results of backward regression analysis, demographic variables were excluded from the model due to the lack of statistically significant relationship with psychological well-being, and only spiritual intelligence variable (B = 0.41) was identified as the strong independent predictor of psychological well-being of cancer patients in the final model. Conclusions: It is recommended for cancer treatment and cancer support centers to improve the skills of spiritual intelligence in women with breast cancer, especially in terms of personal meaning production, to promote psychological well-being.

The impact of cancer and its treatment on physical activity levels and quality of life among young Hong Kong Chinese cancer patients

PurposeDespite the evidence that regular physical activity can have beneficial effects on the physical and psychological well-being of cancer patients, a review of the literature reveals that a majority of young cancer patients fail to attain the same levels of physical activity that they had before contracting the disease. This study is to examine the impact of cancer and its treatment on the physical activity levels and quality of life of young Hong Kong Chinese cancer patients. MethodA cross-sectional study was conducted, with 76 young cancer patients admitted for treatment to a pediatric oncology unit, and another similar age group of 148 healthy counterparts from the two integrated child and youth service centers were invited to join the study. ResultsThe study found that the current physical activity levels of young cancer patients were markedly reduced when compared with their pre-cancer situation. Moreover, they were significantly less active in performing physical exercise, and reported lower levels of self-efficacy and quality of life than their healthy counterparts. The results of the hierarchical multiple regression analysis showed that physical activity is an important indicator of quality of life among young cancer patients. ConclusionThe results provide further evidence that cancer and its treatment have negative effects on physical and psychological well-being and quality of life among young cancer patients. There is an imperative need for healthcare professionals to promote the adoption of regular physical activity among such patients, even during the treatment itself.

Sources of meaning in cancer patients - influences on global meaning, anxiety and depression in a longitudinal study

Although existential needs are highly prevalent in patients with cancer, specific sources of meaning have been little explored. We investigated whether specific sources of meaning predict global meaning and psychological distress. N = 258 patients with breast (45%), lung (39%) and gynaecological cancer (16%) completed a battery of validated questionnaires at T1. Six months later (T2), n = 183 (78%) patients participated again. The primary outcomes - sources of meaning, global meaning and psychosocial distress - were measured with the Sources of Meaning Profile-Revised (SOMP-R), Life Attitude Profile-Revised (LAP-R) and modules for depression and anxiety of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9, GAD-7). Most important sources of meaning were 'engaging in personal relationships', 'preserving human values and ideals' and 'feeling financially secure'. Stepwise multivariate regression analyses controlling for demographic and medical factors revealed that 'engaging in personal relationships', 'preservation of culture and tradition' and 'interest in social and/or political causes' predicted lower depression. 'Leaving a legacy for the next generation' and 'feeling financially secure' predicted both higher depression and anxiety. The findings highlight the relevance of sources of meaning for the psychological well-being of cancer patients and point towards specific sources of meaning that should be focused in psychosocial interventions.

Receiving Palliative Treatment Moderates the Effect of Age and Gender on Demoralization in Patients with Cancer

BackgroundExistential distress is an important factor affecting psychological well-being in cancer patients. We studied occurrence and predictors of demoralization, a syndrome of existential distress, in particular the interaction of age, gender, and curative vs. palliative treatment phase.MethodsA cross-sectional sample of N = 750 patients with different tumor sites was recruited from in- and outpatient treatment facilities. Patients completed the following self-report questionnaires: Demoralization Scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Illness-Specific Social Support Scale Short Version-8, and physical problems list of the NCCN Distress Thermometer. Moderated multiple regression analyses were conducted.ResultsWe found high demoralization in 15% and moderate demoralization in 8% of the sample. Curative vs. palliative treatment phase moderated the impact of age and gender on demoralization (three-way interaction: b = 1.30, P = .02): the effect of age on demoralization was negative for women receiving palliative treatment (b = −.26, P = .02) and positive for men receiving palliative treatment (b = .25, P = .03). Effects of age and gender were not significant among patients receiving curative treatment. Female gender was associated with higher demoralization among younger patients receiving palliative treatment only. Analyses were controlled for significant effects of the number of physical problems (b = 6.10, P<.001) and social support (b = −3.17, P<.001).ConclusionsExistential distress in terms of demoralization is a relevant problem within the spectrum of cancer-related distress. It is associated with a complex interaction of demographic and medical patient characteristics; existential challenges related to palliative treatment may exacerbate the impact of age- and gender-related vulnerability factors on demoralization. Psychosocial interventions should acknowledge this interaction in order to address the individual nature of existential distress in subgroups of cancer patients.