Social short video platform assisted care for adverse psychological symptoms in cancer patients: A mixed-methods study

The rising psychological issues among cancer patients call for timely treatment. Psychological issues such as anxiety, depression, and distress are particularly common among cancer patients and have a significant impact on their treatment and prognostic outcomes. Distraction has been proven to mitigate mental disorders as a strategy of intervention. Digital tools like social short video platforms offer cost-effective mental healthcare potential, but there is a lack of longitudinal studies demonstrating their intervention effectiveness. This study aimed to assess the impact of social short video platforms on the psychological well-being of cancer patients, focusing on anxiety, depression, and distress. We studied 455 digestive system cancer patients using mixed methods. The effect on psychological symptoms was evaluated via cross-sectional analysis of 392 patients and pre-post intervention analysis of 63 patients, employing the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Distress Thermometer. The findings showed lower anxiety, depression, and distress scores among regular users of social short video platforms. The intervention led to reduced anxiety and depression scores. As a prevalent app of social short video platforms, these platforms might be a safe and convenient nonpharmacological assisted tool for enhancing mental health care during cancer treatment.