Hopelessness in Turkish cancer inpatients: The relation of hopelessness with psychological and disease-related outcomes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the hopelessness level and the relationship of depression, anxiety and disease-related factors to the presence of hopelessness among Turkish patients with cancer. Ninety-five patients hospitalized for cancer treatments were recruited for current study. Data were collected by using a demographic questionnaire, the Pain Numeric Rating Scale, the Beck Hopelessness Scale, and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. The mean hopelessness score was 5.20 ± 4.39. There were significant differences in terms of hopelessness between the patients who had metastasis and pain as compared with those without metastasis and pain (p < 0.05). There were also found that significant correlation between hopelessness and depression and between hopelessness and anxiety (r = 0.721; r = 0.645, respectively, p < 0.001). Foreword stepwise multiple regression analysis revealed that the independent predictors of hopelessness were depression score and thr presence of metastasis (F = 55.133; p < 0.001). The findings suggest that levels of hopelessness among cancer patients with pain and metastasis are higher than among those without pain and metastasis, and that the severity of pain, anxiety, and depression is positively correlated with hopelessness level. The assessment of hopelessness, pain, anxiety and depression levels of the patients with cancer should be an essential part of health care practice. Therefore, when arranging care assessment, to evaluate hopelessness could help professionals to appropriately refer patients to further psychological care resources.