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. 2022 Apr 26:13:872329.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.872329. eCollection 2022.

Cancer-Related Psychological Distress in Lymphoma Survivor: An Italian Cross-Sectional Study

Giulia Agostinelli  1 , Barbara Muzzatti  1 , Samantha Serpentini  2 , Michele Spina  3 , Maria Antonietta Annunziata  1
Affiliations

Cancer-Related Psychological Distress in Lymphoma Survivor: An Italian Cross-Sectional Study

Giulia Agostinelli et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Cancer is becoming a chronic disease, and the number of cancer survivors continues to increase. Lymphoma survivors are also increasing in numbers, and anxiety and depression are among the consequences they face. This study aimed to explore psychological distress in a sample of 212 lymphoma survivors. Information through a socio-demographic form and the compilation of questionnaires to assess anxiety, depression, quality of life, and the impact of cancer on lymphoma survivors was collected and analyzed. In the sample examined, 17% of lymphoma survivors were anxiety caseness, and 12.3% were depression caseness, and of these, 8% presented with concomitant anxiety depression. This study identified some variables associated with psychological distress in lymphoma survivors: female sex; living as a couple; a diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma; systematic treatment and/or radiotherapy; sleep disorders; no regular physical activity; and present or past use of psychiatric drugs. Our cross-sectional study results suggest that some of the variables investigated may be useful in identifying lymphoma survivors who are more likely to report psychological distress. It is important to monitor psychological distress along the entire trajectory of survivorship in order to identify early the presence of anxiety and depression and to provide timely psychological support.

Keywords: anxiety; depression; lymphoma; psychological distress; quality of life; survivor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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