Latent profile analysis of psychological capital and its association with quality of life in colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

Objective To identify latent profiles of psychological capital (PsyCap) among colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, compare demographic and clinical characteristics across profiles, and examine the association between PsyCap profiles and quality of life. Methods A convenience sampling method was used to recruit 327 colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy at Peking University Shenzhen Hospital from January to May 2026. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ-26), and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C). Latent profile analysis identified PsyCap profiles. Chi-square tests were used to compare demographic and disease-related characteristics across latent classes. One-way ANOVA was used when variances were homogeneous. Homogeneity of variance was assessed using Levene’s test. When the assumption of homogeneity of variance was violated, Welch’s ANOVA was used for overall group comparisons, followed by Games–Howell post hoc tests for pairwise comparisons. Eta-squared (η 2 ) was calculated as an omnibus effect size for comparisons of FACT-C scores across PsyCap profiles. Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the association between PsyCap latent profiles and quality of life. Results Three latent profiles of PsyCap were identified among colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy: Low PsyCap (35.5%), Moderate PsyCap (40.1%), and High PsyCap (24.5%). Significant differences were observed among the three profiles in all FACT-C domains and the total score (all Welch p < 0.001), with higher PsyCap profiles showing higher quality-of-life scores. After adjusting for demographic and clinical characteristics, PsyCap profiles remained significantly associated with FACT-C total scores. Compared with the Low PsyCap profile, the Moderate PsyCap profile ( B = 7.073, 95% CI: 3.077–11.070, p = 0.001) and High PsyCap profile ( B = 13.740, 95% CI: 9.096–18.384, p < 0.001) had higher FACT-C total scores. Conclusion PsyCap among colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy showed heterogeneity primarily in overall level and was classified into three sample-relative profiles: Low, Moderate, and High PsyCap. Higher PsyCap profiles were associated with better quality of life after adjustment for demographic and clinical characteristics. The person-centered classification may complement continuous PsyCap scores by identifying subgroups with different overall levels of psychological resources. Early identification of patients with relatively low PsyCap may help inform individualized supportive strategies.