Network Analysis of Psychological Distress and Associated Factors Among Young Adult Patients With Cancer in China: A...

Young adult patients with cancer are particularly vulnerable to psychological distress due to various unique developmental challenges.

This study explored the network structure of psychological distress and its interconnections with associated factors with the aim of further ascertaining targets for precise prevention and control of psychological distress.

This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. Eight questionnaires were distributed to capture demographics, anxiety, depression, social support, illness perception, cancer coping strategies and psychological distress among participants. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to investigate the main factors influencing psychological distress. Network analysis was further used to visualize the network model and to calculate the centrality indexes, network stability and accuracy.

A total of 924 young adult patients with cancer (59.2% male; 48.4% aged 31-40 years) participated in this study. Significant factors for psychological distress were consequences, symptom identity, emotional representation, avoidance and suppression, resignation, fantasy, catharsis, severity of anxiety and severity of depression. The emotion domain of psychological distress was the most central factor in the network model, with the highest strength, betweenness, and expected influence. Anxiety exhibited the highest closeness, while depression had the highest bridge expected influence.

Psychological distress is a complex system in which emotions, anxiety, and depression play distinct and critical roles. To effectively alleviate overall distress, clinical interventions should prioritize emotion regulation, target the central influence of anxiety, and disrupt the bridging role of depression.