Background: A cancer diagnosis carries an emotional toll and can have negative consequences. These patients are admitted to the hospital with acute symptoms and have complex clinical manifestations and multiple comorbidities. These factors can easily lead to a decline in their quality of life.
Objective: This study investigated the relationship between hopelessness and quality of life in unexpectedly hospitalized cancer patients. It is hoped that the research results can provide effective reference for medical staff when caring for cancer patients who are unexpectedly hospitalized, thereby improving their overall quality of life.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from 174 hospitalized cancer patients with different diagnoses. Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Generic (FACT-G) were used as collection instruments. The correlation between hopelessness and quality of life was analyzed using Pearson correlation statistics.
Results: During the unplanned hospitalization, 47% of patients experienced moderate to severe feelings of hopelessness and 85% rated their quality of life as poor. Patients with lower education levels reported higher levels of hopelessness. Those with an education level of college or above (p < .05) (M = 54.71) had the best overall quality of life, while those with stage IV cancer had the worst quality of life (M = 42.65). The total scores of “sense of ultimate hope” and “quality of life” (r=-.71, p<.001) were statistically significant, indicating that the higher the Beck Endgame Scale score, the worse the overall quality of life of the case at the time of unexpected hospitalization.
Conclusion: The results showed a significant correlation between hopelessness and quality of life in cancer patients. Failure to promptly identify patient needs can result in delays in providing optimal care. Healthcare professionals are advised to intervene early and actively provide social support systems to reduce patients' feelings of isolation and helplessness.