A recent review identified four attributes of psychosocial distress experienced by patients with cancer. Increased knowledge of these attributes could help healthcare professionals provide a more comprehensive framework for addressing this distress.
Jingyue Xie, of the School of Nursing, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China, conducted a literature review and concept analysis to clarify the concept of psychosocial distress in patients with cancer. Psychosocial distress was defined as “a state of unpleasant emotion in terms of role dysfunction, negative self-perception, and disrupted daily life.” Their review looked at almost 6,000 studies and identified 36 for further analysis.
The four attributes of psychosocial distress identified were role dysfunction, negative self-perception, disrupted daily life, and unpleasant emotion. According to the researchers, these attributes were normally preceded by cancer-related stress and an inability to cope.