Fear of cancer recurrence as a pathway from fatigue to psychological distress in mothers who are breast cancer survivors

Kuswanto, Carissa Nadia; Sharp, Jessica; Schofield, Penelope

doi:10.1002/smi.3180

Cited by 12 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 85 publications

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“…The bridge symptom “Poor spirits” and the symptom “Loss of emotional control” (E2-D1, edge weight = 0.22) ranked second in terms of closeness of connection; these symptoms belong to the “Sense of failure” and “Helplessness” dimensions, respectively. Previous research ( 38 – 40 ) found a strong association between physical symptoms such as fatigue and a fear of cancer recurrence among cancer survivors, as patients may misinterpret their fatigue as a sign of cancer recurrence or progression. However, fighting the disease commonly leads to fatigue, causing the patient to fear cancer recurrence and resulting in a poor mental state.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Core and bridge symptoms of demoralization in Chinese female cancer patients: a network analysis

Gong,

Shang,

Tan

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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ObjectiveIn this study, we explore the core and bridge symptoms of demoralization in female cancer patients in China, and provide a basis for precise psychological intervention among female cancer patients.MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional survey. Participants were recruited from three third-class hospitals in Jiangsu Province from June 2022 to June 2023 using the convenience sampling method. The severity of each symptom of demoralization was investigated in female cancer patients using the Demoralization Scale (DS). Network analysis was performed using the R language to identify core and bridge symptoms in the network and further explore some characteristic edge connections in the network.ResultsThe network structure model of demoralization had strong accuracy and stability. In the network, the symptoms with the highest strength centrality were “Discouragement” (C3, strength=2.19), “No self-worth” (A3, strength=1.21), “Don’t want to live” (A5, strength=1.20), “Hopeless” (D4, strength=0.81), and “Vulnerability” (B3, strength=0.74), respectively. The bridge strength analysis identified “Hopeless” (D4, bridge strength=0.92), “Discouragement” (C3, bridge strength=0.85), “No self-worth” (A3, bridge strength=0.75), “Poor spirits” (E2, bridge strength=0.71), and “Vulnerability” (B3, bridge strength=0.69) as the bridge symptoms. The strongest edge connections of all dimensions were “No self-worth” and “Worthless” (A3—E6, edge weighting=0.27), “Poor spirits” and “Loss of emotional control” (E2—D1, edge weighting=0.22), “Discouragement” and “Vulnerability” (C3—B3, edge weighting=0.14), and “Hopeless” and “No meaning of survival” (D4—A4, edge weighting=0.12).Conclusion“Discouragement (C3)”, “No self-worth (A3)”, “Hopeless (D4)”, and “Vulnerability (B3)” are both core symptoms and bridge symptoms. These symptoms can not only trigger a patient’s demoralization but also stimulate more severe symptom clusters through interactions. The early recognition of and intervention regarding these symptoms could be important for the prevention and treatment of demoralization among female cancer patients.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Core and bridge symptoms of demoralization in Chinese female cancer patients: a network analysis

Gong,

Shang,

Tan

et al. 2024

Front. Psychiatry

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“…This result is in agreement with those of various studies in the field indicating that the FCR is associated with various psychological variables and can increase the psychological distress and burden of the patients. According to a recent cross-sectional study in Australia among breast cancer survivors, the FCR had a positive correlation with anxiety, depression, stress, and fatigue among the participants [28]. Those researchers indicated that the FCR can act as a mediating factor in transitioning from fatigue to psychological distress [27].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the Relationship between Fear of Cancer Recurrence, Spiritual Well-Being, and Mental Health among Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Londoudi,

Skampardonis,

Alikari

et al. 2024

Nursing Reports

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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fear of cancer recurrence, spiritual well-being, and mental health among cancer patients. The study involved 217 patients undergoing chemotherapy. Data were collected with the following instruments: a demographic and clinical information recording form, the fear of cancer recurrence inventory, the Athens insomnia scale, the FACIT-Sp-12 scale for the assessment of spirituality, and the HADS scale for the assessment of mental health. For statistical analysis, SPSS statistical software was used, with the significance threshold set at 0.05;andtl number, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple regression tests were used. The sample consisted of 217 cancer patients with a mean age of 63.7 years (SD = 11.6 years), 39.2% male and 60.8% female. The minimum value on the scale of fear of cancer recurrence was 0 and the maximum was 33 points, with a mean value of 14.1 points (SD = 8.2 points). The hospital scale of anxiety and depression was correlated, both in the dimension of anxiety and in the dimension of depression, significantly and positively with the scale of fear of cancer recurrence. Thus, greater fear of recurrence was associated with greater anxiety and depression. On the contrary, the correlations of anxiety and depression with the dimensions and the overall chronic disease treatment rating scale were significant and negative. So, greater spiritual well-being, in each domain and overall, were associated with less anxiety and depression. Finally, less fear of cancer recurrence was associated with finding greater meaning in life, greater peace, and overall greater spiritual well-being. In summary, fear of cancer recurrence is a predictor of psychological distress in cancer patients. However, spirituality can prevent the development of mental illness and FCR.

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“…These symptoms are observed from the time of diagnosis and can last for more than 10 years after treatment has ended 30 . These emotional issues have been identified as the most important variables that influence the quality of life and adaptation of breast cancer patients following primary treatment 22 , 31 . Considering that the association between these emotional symptoms and long-term survival rates in cancer patients has been established 32 , emotional symptoms must be monitored continuously and comprehensive approaches for mental health promotion, such as psychological support and counseling specifically designed for breast cancer survivors, must be implemented.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors influencing psychological distress among breast cancer survivors using machine learning techniques

Park,

Chun,

Bae

et al. 2024

Sci Rep

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Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women worldwide. Breast cancer patients experience significant distress relating to their diagnosis and treatment. Managing this distress is critical for improving the lifespan and quality of life of breast cancer survivors. This study aimed to assess the level of distress in breast cancer survivors and analyze the variables that significantly affect distress using machine learning techniques. A survey was conducted with 641 adult breast cancer patients using the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Thermometer tool. Participants identified various factors that caused distress. Five machine learning models were used to predict the classification of patients into mild and severe distress groups. The survey results indicated that 57.7% of the participants experienced severe distress. The top-three best-performing models indicated that depression, dealing with a partner, housing, work/school, and fatigue are the primary indicators. Among the emotional problems, depression, fear, worry, loss of interest in regular activities, and nervousness were determined as significant predictive factors. Therefore, machine learning models can be effectively applied to determine various factors influencing distress in breast cancer patients who have completed primary treatment, thereby identifying breast cancer patients who are vulnerable to distress in clinical settings.

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Fear of cancer recurrence as a pathway from fatigue to psychological distress in mothers who are breast cancer survivors

Cited by 12 publications

References 85 publications

Core and bridge symptoms of demoralization in Chinese female cancer patients: a network analysis

Core and bridge symptoms of demoralization in Chinese female cancer patients: a network analysis

Assessment of the Relationship between Fear of Cancer Recurrence, Spiritual Well-Being, and Mental Health among Cancer Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Factors influencing psychological distress among breast cancer survivors using machine learning techniques

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