Prevalence and influencing factors of the dyadic psychological stress among patients with lung cancer and their family caregivers: a cross-sectional study

Background: A lung cancer diagnosis has a huge impact on the psychological well-being of both patients and family caregivers. However, the current psychological stress status among dyads remains unclear. We aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depression and identify the factors that influence patients with lung cancer and their caregivers.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 254 dyads of lung cancer patients and family caregivers from four tertiary hospitals in Hunan Province, China from January 2021 to June 2021. Besides, we used several instruments to collect data on depression, anxiety, illness perception, mindfulness, self-compassion, and dyadic coping. The independent samples t-test, analysis of one-way variance, Spearman's correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were employed.

Results: Results showed that 21.3% of patients and 29.5% of caregivers experienced depression, while 22.0% of patients and 33.5% of caregivers reported anxiety. For lung cancer patients, patients' illness perception positively predicted their depression scores and patients' level of mindfulness and level of self-compassion negatively predicted their depression scores; patients' illness perception positively predicted their anxiety scores, and only living with children, patients' mindfulness and self-compassion levels were negatively predicted their anxiety scores. For caregivers, caregivers' level of illness perception and the number of other caregivers positively predicted their depression and anxiety scores, and caregiver's dyadic coping level, residence (county or town, and city), and caregiver's self-compassion level, were negatively predicted their depression and anxiety scores.

Conclusion: The prevalence of psychological stress response of lung cancer patients and caregivers was high and influenced by family living situation, number of persons assisting in care, place of residence, patient-caregiver relationship, levels of illness perception, mindfulness, self-compassion, and dyadic coping.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrial.gov NCT06746948.