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Psychosocial distress

Psychosocial distress refers to the unpleasant emotions or psychological symptoms an individual has when they are overwhelmed, which negatively impacts their quality of life. Psychosocial distress is most commonly used in medical care to refer to the emotional distress experienced by populations of patients and caregivers of patients with complex chronic conditions such as cancer,[1] diabetes,[2] and cardiovascular conditions,[3] which confer heavy symptom burdens that are often overwhelming, due to the disease's association with death.[4] Due to the significant history of psychosocial distress in cancer treatment, and a lack of reliable secondary resources documenting distress in other contexts, psychosocial distress will be mainly discussed in the context of oncology.

Photo of a woman suffering from stress and emotional distress.

Although the terms "Psychological" and "Psychosocial" are frequently used interchangeably, their definitions are dissimilar. While "Psychological" refers to an individual’s mental and emotional state, “Psychosocial” refers to how one's ideas, feelings, and behaviors influence and are influenced by social circumstances.[5] While psychological distress refers to the influence of internal processes on psychological wellbeing, psychosocial factors additionally include external, social, and interpersonal influences.[5]

Psychosocial distress is commonly caused by clinically related trauma, personal life changes, and extraneous stressors, which negatively influences the patient's mood, cognition, and interpersonal activity, eroding the patient's wellbeing and quality of life.[6] Symptoms manifest as psychological disorders, decreased ability to work and communicate, and a range of health issues related to stress and metabolism. Distress management aims to improve the disease symptoms and wellbeing of patients, it involves the screening and triage of patients to optimal treatments and careful outcome monitoring.

However, stigmatization of psychosocial distress is present in various sectors of society and cultures, causing many patients to avoid diagnosis and treatment, in which further action is required to ensure their safety. As an increasingly relevant field in medical care, further research is required for the development of better treatments for psychosocial distress, with relation to diverse demographics and advances in digital platforms.

  1. ^ Mehnert, Anja; Koch, Uwe; Schulz, Holger; Wegscheider, Karl; Weis, Joachim; Faller, Hermann; Keller, Monika; Brähler, Elmar; Härter, Martin (December 2012). "Prevalence of mental disorders, psychosocial distress and need for psychosocial support in cancer patients – study protocol of an epidemiological multi-center study". BMC Psychiatry. 12 (1): 70. doi:10.1186/1471-244X-12-70. ISSN 1471-244X. PMC 3434016. PMID 22747671.
  2. ^ Shapiro, Michael S. (June 2022). "Special Psychosocial Issues in Diabetes Management: Diabetes Distress, Disordered Eating, and Depression". Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 49 (2): 363–374. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2021.11.007. PMID 35595489. S2CID 248160375.
  3. ^ Osborne, Michael T.; Shin, Lisa M.; Mehta, Nehal N.; Pitman, Roger K.; Fayad, Zahi A.; Tawakol, Ahmed (August 2020). "Disentangling the Links Between Psychosocial Stress and Cardiovascular Disease". Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging. 13 (8): e010931. doi:10.1161/CIRCIMAGING.120.010931. ISSN 1941-9651. PMC 7430065. PMID 32791843.
  4. ^ Nedjat-Haiem, Frances R.; Cadet, Tamara J.; Ferral, Alonzo J.; Ko, Eun Jeong; Thompson, Beti; Mishra, Shiraz I. (December 2020). "Moving closer to death: understanding psychosocial distress among older veterans with advanced cancers". Supportive Care in Cancer. 28 (12): 5919–5931. doi:10.1007/s00520-020-05452-7. ISSN 0941-4355. PMID 32281033. S2CID 215731807.
  5. ^ a b Hasa (2023-01-08). "What is the Difference Between Psychosocial and Psychological". Pediaa.Com. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  6. ^ Strada, E. Alessandra (September 2019). "Psychosocial Issues and Bereavement". Primary Care. 46 (3): 373–386. doi:10.1016/j.pop.2019.05.004. ISSN 1558-299X. PMID 31375187. S2CID 196522572.

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