Satisfaction of Basic Psychological Needs as a Factor in Subjective Well-Being of Cancer Patients Receiving Chemo- And Radiation Therapy

Abstract

Background. Cancer is associated with significant decline in patients' quality of life. Satisfaction of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness may serve as an important factor of their subjective well-being during cancer treatment. Different medical and social contexts of treatment during chemo- and radiation therapy create different conditions for both satisfaction and frustration of these needs. The insufficiency of scientific data on predictors of subjective well-being in cancer patients determines the relevance and novelty of the study presented in the article.

Objective. To investigate the relationship between satisfaction of needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness and subjective well-being in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Study Participants. 107 cancer patients (90 women, 17 men) receiving treatment at three specialized oncology centers in Moscow. 52 patients were receiving chemotherapy and 55 were receiving radiotherapy. 59% of the sample were breast cancer patients, while 41% had tumors of other localizations.

Methods. The study implemented a set of screening methods for assessing the subjective well-being in accordance with E. Diener's model: the Satisfaction with Life Scale (E.N. Osin, D.A. Leontiev), the Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences (E.I. Rasskazova, A.A. Lebedeva), as well as the Scale of Satisfaction of Basic Needs in the Context of Treatment (M.S. Kovyazina et al., M.K. Karakurkchi et al.). Statistical analysis was conducted in RStudio and included Student's t-test for group comparisons, Pearson/Spearman correlation analysis.

Results. Analysis of the data obtained in the study showed that patients receiving chemotherapy have a lower level of satisfaction of basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness than patients receiving radiation therapy. Satisfaction of basic psychological needs significantly correlates with indicators of subjective well-being; this relationship does not depend on the type of therapy and is found in both groups of patients — receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Conclusions. The medical and social conditions of patients receiving chemotherapy are more complex that negatively influences their psychological well-being. Although the satisfaction of basic psychological needs is essential for the subjective well-being of patients treated with either chemotherapy or radiotherapy, fulfilling these needs proves more challenging for those on chemotherapy.

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