Post-traumatic stress in cancer patients: prevalence and psychosocial correlates.

Abstract

Aims: Post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) are a substantial yet underrecognised mental health concern in oncology. Large-scale epidemiological data across diverse cancer types are scarce. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and to identify socio-demographic and psychosocial correlates in a large, unselected outpatient cohort.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 4,103 adult outpatients with solid tumours or haematologic malignancies were screened during routine care using the PTSS-8-Cancer scale. Socio-demographic, clinical and psychosocial variables were collected concurrently. Associations between screening results and patient characteristics were examined using correlational and chi-square analyses.

Results: Overall, 32.5% screened positive for probable PTSD. Prevalence was highest in breast cancer (39.7%), female genital cancers (37.2%) and head and neck cancers (36.1%). A positive screening for PTSD was more common among women, younger patients, those with lower income, without a partner and with a history of psychiatric illness. While these associations were statistically significant, effect sizes were generally small.

Conclusions: One in three cancer outpatients experience substantial PTSS, with elevated prevalence in certain diagnostic groups. Small effect sizes for socio-demographic predictors underscore that psychological distress is broadly distributed. Findings support universal psychosocial screening and integration of trauma-informed care into oncology services to address a significant, population-level mental health burden.