Abstract
Background: The association between subjective well-being (SWB) and adherence to treatment is understudied, especially in the context of cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between various demographic, cancer-related, psychological and mental health factors with adherence to treatment among cancer patients. Methods: A sample of 95 consecutive Stage 3 gastric cancer patients were examined. Each patient filled a battery of questionnaires assessing demographics, mental health, SWB and adherence to treatment. Cancer-related information was obtained from the patients' medical records. Results: The main result revealed that SWB was significantly associated with adherence to treatment among these gastric cancer patients.SWB maintained its positive association with adherence even after controlling for demographics, cancer-related factors and depressive symptoms. Discussion: This finding presents practical implications for health and mental health professionals. SWB may be used as a fast screening for patients with a potential risk for low adherence. Promotion of SWB may be important in order to raise adherence rates in cancer patients.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 39-47 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | European Journal of Oncology |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - Mar 2013 |
Keywords
- Adherence to treatment
- Depressive symptoms
- Gastric cancer
- Quality of life
- Subjective well-being
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
