Purpose: To explore outcomes of psychological distress, including anxiety, depression and stress, amongst adult haematological cancer survivors, with a specific focus on potential differences between rural and urban survivors.
Methods: One thousand four hundred fourteen urban and rural survivors were recruited from five Australian population-based cancer registries and completed a self-report pen-and-paper survey on their well-being, including the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21-item version.
Results: A quarter of survivors were identified as reporting above normal levels of anxiety and depression, respectively, and almost one fifth (17 %) reported above normal levels of stress. There were no statistically significant differences in the percentage of rural and urban survivors reporting above normal levels of anxiety, depression, or stress. Survivors who had experienced financial burden due to their cancer or were of middle age had higher odds of reporting multiple domains of psychological distress, compared to their counterparts.
Conclusions: Haematological cancer survivors diagnosed during middle age or who experience increased financial burden as a result of their diagnosis may require additional support and care with regards to psychological distress.
Keywords: Cancer; Distress; Geographical location; Haematological cancer; Oncology.