Distress in patients with bleeding disorders: a single institutional cross-sectional study

Area of Science:

• Hematology
• Psychosocial Oncology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Psychological distress can impair a patient's ability to manage chronic diseases effectively.
• Understanding distress prevalence is crucial for comprehensive patient care in bleeding disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of distress in adult patients with bleeding disorders.
• To identify clinical and health factors associated with distress, such as disease severity and employment.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional evaluation of 152 patients at a Haemophilia Treatment Centre (HTC).
• Utilized the National Comprehensive Cancer Network Distress Management Tool and Brief Pain Inventory Short Form.
• Adjusted logistic regression analysis identified factors associated with high distress (≥5 on a 0-10 scale).

Main Results:

• High distress was reported by 31.6% of patients with bleeding disorders.
• Unemployment, disability, depressive symptoms, and higher pain levels were significantly associated with high distress.
• Bleeding disorder type, race/ethnicity, HIV/HCV status, and treatment regimen were not associated with distress.

Conclusions:

• Distress is prevalent in patients with congenital bleeding disorders, comparable to cancer patient populations.
• Findings highlight the need for distress screening and management in bleeding disorder care.
• Further research is recommended to explore the impact of distress on clinical outcomes in this population.