Post-traumatic Stress Symptoms, Distress, and Optimism in Mexican Colorectal Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background. ! e diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer are considered highly stressful and potentially traumatic events that can generate post-traumatic stress symptoms and distress among patients. Objective. ! is study assessed levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms, distress, and optimism, as well as di" erences between these conditions relative to sociodemographic and medical variables, in Mexican patients with colorectal cancer. Design. A cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed, in which 192 colorectal cancer patients over the age of 18 years participated. ! ey # lled out the following questionnaires in person: a sociodemographic and medical data questionnaire; the Event Impact Scale-Revised (EIE-R); the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); and the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R). Results. ! e results showed that 32.3% of the patients reported post-traumatic stress symptomatology, and 21.4% reported distress. Post-traumatic stress symptoms and distress varied according to age and monthly income. Signi# cant di" erences between the sexes were also observed in the levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms and distress. Post-traumatic stress was positively and signi# cantly related to distress, and negatively and signi# cantly to optimism. Conclusion. Based on these data, we concluded that a signi# cant percentage of colorectal cancer patients present high levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms as well as distress, and that these levels may vary according to sociodemographic and medical characteristics.