Providing Information or Support Based on Cancer Worry Can Decrease Psychological Distress Among Daughters of Women with Breast Cancer

Background

Cancer Worry (CW) can shape the responses and behaviors of information or support-seeking of daughters of women with breast cancer.

Objective

This study aims to explore the roles of Cancer Worry (CW) as a moderator and mediator in the relationship between information needs, support needs, and psychological distress.

Methods

A cross-sectional and correlational design was used in conjunction with a convenience sampling strategy. Daughters of mothers with breast cancer were requested to complete the questionnaires Impact of Event Scale Chinese version (IES-C), Cancer Worry Scale for Genetic Counseling (CWS-GC), and Information and Support Needs Questionnaire (ISNQ). Hayes' PROCESS macro using SPSS for Windows were used to examine the mediator and moderator role of CW.

Results

A total of 194 daughters provided data. Cancer worry was significantly correlated with total IES (r = 0.352, P < .01), intrusion-IES (r = 0.353, P < .01), avoidance-IES (r = 0.313, P < .01), unmet support needs (r = 0.226, P < .01), and unmet information needs (r = 0.17, P < .05). Cancer worry mediated the relationship between unmet support needs and total IES (β = 0.089, 95% CI: 0.026, 0.171) and moderated the relationship between unmet information needs and total IES (β = −0.395, P = .018, 95% CI: −0.723, −0.066).

Conclusions

The role of cancer worry should be paid attention to when clinicians deliver information and provide support as well as tailoring psychological intervention for ameliorating distress in daughters of women with breast cancer.

Implications for nursing

Providing personalized information and support is essential to address the unmet needs of daughters of women with breast cancer. Healthcare professionals providing interventions to reduce distress and improve overall care should consider individual CW.

Plain English summary

This research looks at how worrying about cancer affects daughters of women who have breast cancer. It focuses on the degree of cancer worry changes the way they feel when they don't get the information and support. Researchers used surveys to gather data from these daughters, examining how their level of cancer worry influenced their needs for information and support and their psychological distress. They found that greater unmet support needs will intensify worry about cancer and then increase psychological stress. However, too much or too little worry about cancer will also heighten their psychological distress due to limited information. The findings suggest that healthcare providers, including nurses, should consider the level of worry about cancer when offering support and information to these individuals to help reduce their stress.