Abstract
Objective: To determine the relationship between suffering, loneliness, social interaction, and symptom distress in patients with advanced cancer.
Methodology: Quantitative, observational, analytical cross-sectional study. Patients with advanced cancer attending a Pain and Palliative Care unit of an oncology institution participated. Assessment instruments included PRISM (suffering), the UCLA Loneliness Scale, the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Questionnaire, and Cohen´s Social Network Index (SNI). Univariate, bivariate, and multiple regression analyses were performed.
Results: One-hundred forty-four patients participated, mostly women (68.1 %), with a median age of 62 years, and 48.6% lived with a partner. About 75% reported moderate to severe suffering, 33% had clinically significant loneliness, and half reported a network width of at least eight people. ESAS showed fatigue as the most common problem and well-being had a median score of 5; In general, a low symptomatic burden was found. Suffering was significantly correlated with loneliness, pain, fatigue, depression, and anxiety, but not with levels of social interaction. According to the multiple regression analysis, loneliness has a positive and significant influence on the increase in suffering.
Conclusions: A high percentage of patients show significant suffering and almost a third show clinical levels of loneliness, which contrasts with a relatively large social network with frequent interactions, and a generally low symptomatic burden. The most single important predictor of suffering was loneliness. Our study points to the need to regularly assess these feelings and address them in treatment to lessen suffering. Future studies should delve deeper into the relationship between suffering and loneliness.