Distress in patients with acute leukemia: a concept analysis

Patients with acute leukemia (AL) require immediate and aggressive inpatient treatment that results in many weeks to months of hospitalization. Thus, it is not surprising that distress has been found in as many as 45.5% of patients. Although distress is a regularly reported outcome measure in clinical research, currently, there is a lack of a clear, consistent, and universal definition of this concept.

The purposes of this article were to examine the current state of the science surrounding the concept of distress and to propose a model of distress for patients with AL.

The Walker and Avant framework was used to guide the analysis of the concept of distress in patients with AL. The findings from this analysis were then used to generate a model guided by the current science.

Distress in AL is generally accepted as multidimensional, quantifiable, subjective, and temporal. Antecedents to distress include demographics, intrinsic factors, social support, disease progression, treatment, and communication. Consequences to distress include decreased quality of life, patient outcomes, as well as the severity of physical and psychological symptoms.

Distress is an outcome measure that is frequently assessed and reported within the literature. The operationalization of distress varies by investigator, limiting its generalizability.

The proposed conceptual model may be used to guide further research on distress in patients with AL at high risk for negative outcomes. Improved understanding of patient distress may guide interventions aimed at managing the psychosocial needs for patients receiving treatment for AL.