Demographic factors, cancer history, and stress coping strategies among colorectal cancer patients during the end of the COVID-19 pandemic - a cross-sectional association study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the is to determine the occurrence, severity, and correlates of distress in patients undergoing oncological treatment during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, focusing on the relationships with demographic factors, such as gender, age, residence, and treatment types. The relationships between distress and strategies for coping with cancer are also examined.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: A diagnostic survey method was utilised which incorporated such tools as the Distress Thermometer and the Mini-MAC Scale. The survey assessed stress severity and coping strategies among 104 oncological patients treated for colorectal cancer at the Oncology Centre of the Lublin Region, eastern Poland, during the last year of the pandemic.

RESULTS: The average stress score was 6.96 [95% Confidence interval (CI) (6.60, 7.32)] with a standard deviation of 1,86. Women and younger patients exhibited higher anxiety and destructive coping styles. Analysis also revealed that cancer patients residing in rural areas reported higher levels of distress and more frequent use of destructive coping mechanisms, compared to their urban counterparts. Positive re-evaluation as a coping strategy increased with age. The study found that a history of cancer was associated with higher levels of distress and a greater use of destructive coping styles, regardless of the cancer stage or type of treatment.

CONCLUSIONS: Coping strategies in cancer patients are significantly associated with demographic factors, including gender, age, and place of residence. Distress levels in cancer patients are positively correlated with non-constructive coping strategies, such as anxious preoccupation and helplessness-hopelessness. High levels of distress underscore the need for routine distress screening and comprehensive psychosocial support.