| Abstract [eng] |
Adjustment disorder and psychological well-being in patients diagnosed with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sigita Tindžiulytė. Vilnius: Vilnius university, 2021. – 59p. People with oncological conditions experience high levels of stress, which can impact psychological well-being and lead to the development of adjustment disorder. In a pandemic, the psychological consequences for oncology patients may be even greater due to the higher risk of infection. The aim of the study was to investigate the peculiarities of adjustment disorder and psychological well-being in men undergoing prostate cancer diagnostic procedures for the first time in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample for this study consisted of 70 men with a mean age of 62.23 (SD = 7.25) years and 46 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer. The research package consisted of demographic questions, questions about health of the participants during the pandemic, the Adjustment Disorder - New Module 8 scale (ADNM-8) and the World Health Organization Well-Being Index (WHO-5). This study is longitudinal and consisted of three repeated measurements. No significant differences were found between men diagnosed and not diagnosed with cancer. 76.1% patients have experienced at least one stressful event in the past year, and 10.9% were at high risk of adjustment disorder. Adjustment difficulties have decreased significantly over three months. The lower psychological well-being of the patients is predicted by the nationality (Lithuanian), lower education, anxiety about the COVID-19 pandemic and worse perceived health at the moment. Lower psychological well-being, younger age, unemployment, more experienced stressors, worse perceived health at the moment and in the future predict greater adjustment difficulties. |
