Biopsychosocial factors in cancer pain: A multidimensional evaluation of quality of life, mental health, and mortality

Patients with cancer pain are often subjected to a range of biopsychosocial conditioning factors, although the extent of their interactions remains unclear. This study aims to assess specific biopsychosocial dimensions using multidimensional questionnaires. Specifically, it analyzes the impact, correlation, and collinearity of factors such as pain, anxiety, depression, activities of daily living, and quality of life (QoL). The study focuses on the relationship between individual autonomy, depression, and anxiety, and their subsequent impact on mortality. This prospective, observational, cross-sectional study was conducted over 1 year with 120 cancer patients. Data were collected utilizing the Brief Pain Inventory, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and the Short-Form-36 questionnaire and subsequently analyzed. The results reveal collinearity among the questionnaires and indicate that the loss of individual autonomy significantly worsens depression, though it does not have a comparable effect on anxiety. Statistically significant correlations were observed between depression and anxiety with mortality. The findings underscore the importance of early recognition of distress symptoms during the management of oncologic patients, alongside effective pain management. Mortality was strongly associated with high scores for depression and anxiety. Family caregiver support and social network involvement should be prioritized, and healthcare providers should promote individual autonomy to improve treatment outcomes. Although further research is needed, this study suggests that adopting a holistic approach to cancer care could not only improve QoL but also potentially extend life expectancy.