Examining patients psychosocial experiences in the diagnosis and treatment of lung cancer

The objective of this study is to examine the psychosocial experiences, quality of life and perceived social support levels of individuals diagnosed with lung cancer during the diagnostic and treatment processes. The study will also reveal the relationship between these factors and their social costs. Furthermore, it will conduct an in-depth analysis of their individual experiences. The research was conducted at Akdeniz University Hospital using an explanatory sequential mixed design method. In the quantitative section of the study, 101 patients who had consented to participate were administered the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), the EORTC QLQ-C30 and LC13 quality of life scales, and the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). In the qualitative element of the study, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 patients. Furthermore, the data were diversified with the contributions of patients' relatives and healthcare professionals, and supplemented with expert opinions. Quantitative findings demonstrated that quality of life, financial difficulties, social support and symptom variables significantly explained depression, anxiety and stress levels in hierarchical regression analyses. Furthermore, difference tests indicated that scale scores differed according to some sociodemographic and clinical variables. The analysis of the qualitative data resulted in the identification of 7 overarching themes and 37 subordinate categories, which collectively offer a comprehensive depiction of the patients' experiences. The findings indicated that patients diagnosed with lung cancer experience significant psychological distress, require social support, experience a substantial deterioration in their quality of life, and bear a significant economic burden. The employment of a mixed-methods approach served to complement the quantitative findings with individual patient narratives, thereby providing a more holistic framework. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that lung cancer patients experience profound impacts not only medically but also at psychosocial and economic levels. The findings emphasise the necessity to formulate patient-centred, sustainable, and multidisciplinary healthcare policies. The integration of psychosocial support services into the healthcare system, and the importance of policies to reduce the cost burden, are among the key contributions of this study.