Objectives: This study investigates the course of psychological distress, need for psychosocial support and quality of life in prostate cancer patients with respect to their dispositional optimism.
Methods: A sample of 253 patients with prostate carcinoma completed questionnaires measuring optimism (LOT), psychological distress (PHQ-4), quality of life (EORTC QLQ-C30) and need for psychosocial support (HSI) during hospitalization (T1), two weeks (T2) and three months (T3) after discharge.
Results: Optimism at T1 is negatively correlated with psychological distress and the need for support at T3. Even after controlling for the baseline levels of these variables, we found that optimism explained incremental variance three months later. The proportion of patients with an expressed need for support ranged from 45 % at T1 to 30 % at T3. Depression is - compared to the German general population - elevated only at T1, while anxiety remains heightened over the entire course.
Conclusions: Patients with a high level of pessimism are at risk for higher levels of mental distress in the course of the disease. Their need for counselling should be considered by the psychosocial care system.