The global cancer mental health survey: insights from patient and provider experiences on psychosocial care access
AI Summary
Patients and providers deem psychosocial oncology essential, yet 63.5% of patients received no PSO and 53.2% of institutions do not routinely provide it.
Mental health stigma and cultural norms limit emotional disclosure, reported by 57% to 74.3% of respondents, hindering access and utilisation.
Substantial workforce and training gaps, and limited PSO research investment, restrict service delivery; 66.6% report insufficient staff, 60.3% report low funding.
BACKGROUND: Psychosocial oncology (PSO) is essential to comprehensive cancer care, yet access and delivery remain inconsistent and inadequate globally. This study mapped patient- and provider-reported experiences of barriers shaping PSO access globally.
METHODS: Cross-sectional, web-based surveys were administered separately to adults with a self-reported cancer diagnosis and to oncology healthcare providers (HCPs) in five languages between November 12, 2024 and April 25, 2025. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regressions examined associations between sociodemographic and clinical factors with PSO access, perceptions, and delivery.
FINDINGS: The final sample included 200 patients from 16 countries and 237 HCPs from 38 countries. Among patients, 85.0% rated PSO care as highly important, with 81.0% considering it as important as biomedical care, yet 63.5% reported receiving no PSO care. Among HCPs, 53.2% indicated PSO is not routinely provided at their institutions. Mental health stigma and cultural norms affecting comfort discussing emotional concerns were commonly reported barriers, reported by 57.0% and 64.0% of patients, respectively, and 52.7% and 74.3% of HCPs. Workforce and training gaps were substantial, with 66.6% of HCPs reporting insufficient specialized staff, and 42.1% reporting no formal training in PSO. Investment in PSO research was perceived as low, with 60.3% of HCPs estimating that <10% of national cancer research funding was allocated to PSO and 69.6% viewing overall research support as insufficient.
INTERPRETATION: Patients and providers emphasized the importance of PSO; however, PSO was reported to be under-delivered worldwide due to stigma, cultural factors, workforce and training limitations, and insufficient research investment. System-level strategies are needed to address these challenges and close the global PSO care gap.
FUNDING: This study was supported by a seed grant from the Global Institute of Psychosocial, Palliative and End-of-Life Care (GIPPEC), Toronto, Canada.
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