Cancer Fear, Emotion Regulation, and Emotional Distress in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Lung Cancer

Background Research related to newly diagnosed lung cancer patients’ emotional regulation strategies and how these strategies influence their emotional distress is scarce. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cancer fear, emotion regulation, and emotional distress in patients with newly diagnosed lung cancer. Method A cross-sectional, correlation research design was conducted, using self-report questionnaires: the Cancer Fear Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. A total of 117 newly diagnosed lung cancer patients were sampled. Results Nearly 70% of newly diagnosed lung cancer patients had a high level of cancer fear; 56.4%, depression; and 45.3%, anxiety. Depression was positively associated with cancer fear ( r = 0.239, P < .01) and expressive suppression ( r = 0.185, P < .05), but negatively associated with cognitive reappraisal ( r = −0.323, P < .01). Anxiety was positively associated with cancer fear ( r = 0.488, P < .01) but negatively associated with cognitive reappraisal ( r = −0.214, P < .05). Cancer fear and cognitive reappraisal were significant explanatory factors and explained 25.2% of variance in anxiety. Cancer fear, expressive suppression, and cognitive reappraisal were significant explanatory factors and explained 16.7% of variance in depression. Conclusions Newly diagnosed lung cancer patients with cancer fear and who used fewer cognitive reappraisal strategies or more expressive suppression had more emotional distress. Implications for Practice Clinicians should be attentive to patients’ cancer fears and emotion regulation strategies as early as possible to prevent their emotional distress.