Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (PoCoG), School of Psychology, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 Australia.
Patient Educ Couns. 2022 Jul;105(7):2397-2403. doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2022.01.020. Epub 2022 Jan 31.
Cancer patients, carers and oncology health professionals have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in many ways, but their experiences and psychosocial responses to the pandemic are still being explored. This study aimed to document the experience of Australians living with cancer, family carers, and Oncology health professionals (HPs) when COVID-19 first emerged.
In this qualitative study, participants (cancer patients currently receiving treatment, family carers and HPs) completed a semi-structured interview exploring their experiences of COVID-19 and the impact it had on cancer care. Participants also completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (patients) and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (carers and HPs) to assess emotional morbidity. Thematic analysis was undertaken on qualitative data.
32 patients, 16 carers and 29 HPs participated. Qualitative analysis yielded three shared themes: fear and death anxiety, isolation, and uncertainty. For HPs, uncertainty incorporated the potential for moral distress and work-stress. Patients and carers scoring high on anxiety/depression measures were more likely to have advanced disease, expressed greater death anxiety, talked about taking more extreme precautionary measures, and felt more impacted by isolation.
Cancer and COVID-19 can have compounding psychological impacts on all those receiving or giving care.
Screening for distress in patients, and burnout in HPs, is recommended. Increased compassionate access and provision of creative alternatives to face-to-face support are warrented.
癌症患者、护理人员和肿瘤学健康专业人员在许多方面受到了 COVID-19 大流行的影响，但他们对大流行的体验和心理社会反应仍在探索之中。本研究旨在记录澳大利亚癌症患者、家庭护理人员和肿瘤学健康专业人员（HPs）在 COVID-19 首次出现时的经历。
在这项定性研究中，参与者（正在接受治疗的癌症患者、家庭护理人员和 HPs）完成了一项半结构化访谈，探讨了他们对 COVID-19 的体验以及 COVID-19 对癌症护理的影响。参与者还完成了医院焦虑和抑郁量表（患者）和抑郁、焦虑和压力量表（护理人员和 HPs），以评估情绪困扰。对定性数据进行了主题分析。
32 名患者、16 名护理人员和 29 名 HPs 参与了研究。定性分析产生了三个共同的主题：恐惧和死亡焦虑、孤立和不确定性。对于 HPs 来说，不确定性包括潜在的道德困境和工作压力。焦虑/抑郁量表得分较高的患者和护理人员更有可能患有晚期疾病，表达了更大的死亡焦虑，谈论采取更极端的预防措施，并且感到更加孤立。
癌症和 COVID-19 会对所有接受或提供护理的人产生叠加的心理影响。
建议对患者进行困扰筛查，对 HPs 进行倦怠筛查。应增加富有同情心的获得途径，并提供创造性的替代面对面支持的方案。
