Prevalence and Risk Factors of Psychological Distress in Patients With Early‐Stage Lung Cancer During Preoperative Period: A Cross‐Sectional Study

ABSTRACT Aim This study aims to investigate the prevalence of significant psychological distress and identify risk factors associated with it among early‐stage lung cancer patients in the preoperative period. Background Lung cancer is a major cause of cancer deaths worldwide, with low survival rates and significant psychological distress. While much research has focused on distress in advanced‐stage patients, less is known about the prevalence and risk factors of psychological distress in early‐stage lung cancer patients before surgery. Design A cross‐sectional study. Methods The study included 427 early‐stage lung cancer patients preparing for surgery. Researchers used a study‐specific questionnaire to gather general information and employed the Distress Management Screening Measurement, Patient Health Questionnaire‐9 and Generalised Anxiety Disorder‐7 to assess personal situations and psychological distress levels. Statistical analyses investigated distress across various patient characteristics and examined correlations with anxiety and depression. Binary logistic regression identified significant predictors of psychological distress. Results The study found that 41.9% of early‐stage lung cancer patients experienced significant psychological distress preoperatively, with an average score of 3.31 ± 2.18. Psychological distress was significantly positively correlated with depression ( r = 0.474, p < 0.001) and anxiety ( r = 0.591, p < 0.001). Significant risk factors for psychological distress included pulmonary nodules (OR = 2.884, 95% CI: 1.496–5.559), smoking history (OR = 2.092, 95% CI: 1.016–4.306) and chronic diseases (OR = 2.013, 95% CI: 1.073–3.776). Conclusion Early‐stage lung cancer patients often experience a high incidence of clinically significant psychological distress during the preoperative period, strongly associated with depression and anxiety. Adverse factors contributing to psychological distress include multiple indeterminate pulmonary nodules, smoking history and concurrent chronic diseases. Routine screening for psychological distress in these patients is recommended, along with personalised interventions and self‐management strategies to help alleviate their distress during the perioperative period.