Unexpected Features of Coronavirus Anxiety: Examination of Factors Predicting COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Anxiety among Cancer Patients

Abstract

While influencing the whole world, the 2019 coronavirus disease has also created a psychological burden on cancer patients, who are considered to be at increased risk. Although psychological factors predicting cancer patients’ mental health have been revealed in a large body of literature, the role of these factors under the exceptional circumstances of a global pandemic need to be explored. Therefore, it was aimed to investigate the relationships between emotional control, coping styles, and perceived personal threat of contracting COVID-19 and the pandemic-related anxiety of cancer patients. Data were collected from 80 participants living in Turkey who have been diagnosed with cancer. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that pandemic-related anxiety was predicted by lower control of depressive emotions, increased use of seeking social support as a coping style, and higher perceived personal threat of contracting COVID-19, whereas pandemic-related anxiety seemed to be higher among non-metastatic cancer patients. Outcomes that diverge from the pre-pandemic literature have underlined the significance of considering the varying demands of pandemic conditions and reorganizing psychological interventions accordingly for cancer patients.

Keywords

• anxiety
• cancer
• covid-19
• emotions