Survivor guilt in cancer survivorship
Abstract
Attributes of survivor guilt are present in the cancer survivorship population, including the presence of distress and loss, identification with a community, and surviving a situation that others have not. Oncology social workers must be aware of feelings and experiences that may be evoked when individuals witness fellow patients suffering and/or dying. In response, survivors may compare their own lives with the lives of those who have died and struggle to justify their existence. Often underlying feelings of guilt can be a sense of overwhelming helplessness, loss of control, grief, mourning, and a deep sense of injustice. This paper will explore the clinical manifestations and therapeutic interventions used to support individuals experiencing survivor guilt through discussion and case examples. The importance of addressing survivor guilt experienced by the clinician and within medical teams will be highlighted and future recommendations for research and program planning in this area will be discussed.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
For Louise, her experiential avoidance was related to survivor guilt, as she felt she had no right to feel sad/angry/fearful, given that she had survived cancer, unlike other patients.
“For Louise, this was also related to what has been termed the guilt of the (cancer) survivor (Glaser et al.,2019), as she felt she had no right to feel sad/angry/fearful, given that she had survived cancer, unlike other patients.”
From Developing an emotion‐focused therapy model for fear of cancer recurrence: A case‐level task analysis. (2024) · cites this paper as Glaser et al.,2019
Cites
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Williams, J. B. W., & First, M. B. (2013) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.104 · Cited by 109,841 · see citing works
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
&NA; (1988) · Alzheimer Disease & Associated Disorders · doi:10.1097/00002093-198802020-00022 · Cited by 12,603 · see citing works
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 3rd ed
Cooper, A. M., & Michels, R. (1981) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.138.1.128 · Cited by 7,417 · see citing works
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Siegel, L. J., & Fletcher‐Janzen, E. (2014) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118660584.ese0728 · Cited by 3,438 · see citing works
Park, C. L. (2010) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/a0018301 · Cited by 3,174 · cited 1× · see citing works
“It includes a person’s beliefs about control, justice and predictability as well as one’s view about themselves (Park, 2010).”
BackgroundInternational Journal of Psychoanalysis
Hinton, L., & West, M. (2006) · Journal of Analytical Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1468-5922.2006.00501_1.x · Cited by 2,101 · see citing works
Guilt: An interpersonal approach
Baumeister, R. F., Stillwell, A. M., & Heatherton, T. F. (1994) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.115.2.243 · Cited by 1,884 · cited 2× · see citing works
“…theorists argue that guilt is an interpersonal emotion that works to enforce the communal norms, which encourage mutual concern, respect, and positive treatment among group members (Baumeister et al., 1994; Kreitler et al., 2013; Modell, 1971; O’Connor, Berry, Weiss, Schweitzer, & Sevier, 2000).”
BackgroundKearney, M. K., Weininger, R. B., Vachon, M. L. S., Harrison, R. L., & Mount, B. M. (2009) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.2009.352 · Cited by 440 · see citing works
Staring at the sun: Overcoming the terror of death.
Yalom, I. D. (2008) · The Humanistic Psychologist · doi:10.1080/08873260802350006 · Cited by 423 · see citing works
Journal of Social Development in Africa
(2014) · African Studies Companion Online · doi:10.1163/_afco_asc_656 · Cited by 366 · see citing works
Clinical observations on the "survivor syndrome".
Niederland, W. G. (1968) · PubMed · Cited by 308 · see citing works
Suicide and guilt as manifestations of PTSD in Vietnam combat veterans
Hendin, H., & Haas, A. P. (1991) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.148.5.586 · Cited by 302 · see citing works
Post-Traumatic Therapy and Victims of Violence
Kaplowitz, D. (1988) · American Journal of Psychotherapy · doi:10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.1988.42.4.645 · Cited by 295 · see citing works
Layoffs, self-esteem, and survivor guilt: Motivational, affective, and attitudinal consequences
Brockner, J., Davy, J. A., & Carter, C. (1985) · Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes · doi:10.1016/0749-5978(85)90014-7 · Cited by 226 · see citing works
Ego psychology and social work practice
Goldstein, E. G. (1984) · Cited by 222 · see citing works
Hayes, J. A., Gelso, C. J., & Hummel, A. M. (2011) · Psychotherapy · doi:10.1037/a0022182 · Cited by 185 · see citing works
The Survivor Syndrome: Further Observations and Dimensions
Niederland, W. G. (1981) · Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association · doi:10.1177/000306518102900207 · Cited by 156 · see citing works
Pathways for psychosocial care of cancer survivors
Holland, J. C., & Reznik, I. (2005) · Cancer · doi:10.1002/cncr.21252 · Cited by 154 · see citing works
Psychotherapist's participation in the conspiracy of silence about the Holocaust.
Danieli, Y. (1984) · Psychoanalytic Psychology · doi:10.1037/0736-9735.1.1.23 · Cited by 143 · see citing works
Reintegration After Bone Marrow Transplantation
Baker, F., Zabora, J. R., Polland, A., & Wingard, J. R. (1999) · Cancer Practice · doi:10.1046/j.1523-5394.1999.74005.x · Cited by 127 · see citing works
Compassion Fatigue and Countertransference: Two Different Concepts
Berzoff, J., & Kita, E. (2010) · Clinical Social Work Journal · doi:10.1007/s10615-010-0271-8 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
Robbins, S. B., & Jolkovski, M. P. (1987) · Journal of Counseling Psychology · doi:10.1037//0022-0167.34.3.276 · Cited by 111 · see citing works
Modell, A. H. (1971) · PubMed · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Countertransference Issues in Working with Persons with AIDS
Dunkel, J., & Hatfield, S. (1986) · Social Work · doi:10.1093/sw/31.2.114 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
O’Connor, L. E., Berry, J. W., Weiss, J., Schweitzer, D. R., & Sevier, M. (2000) · British Journal of Medical Psychology · doi:10.1348/000711200160705 · Cited by 63 · see citing works
Survivors, Victims, and Perpetrators: Essays on the Nazi Holocaust
Mora, G. (1981) · American Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1176/ajp.138.4.547 · Cited by 59 · see citing works
Loss of the Assumptive World—How We Deal with Death and Loss
Beder, J. (2005) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.2190/gxh6-8vy6-bq0r-gc04 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Treating Survivors and Children of Survivors of the Nazi Holocaust
Danieli, Y. (2013) · doi:10.4324/9780203776414-22 · Cited by 56 · see citing works
Hutson, S. P., Hall, J. M., & Pack, F. L. (2015) · Advances in Nursing Science · doi:10.1097/ans.0000000000000058 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
Therapists on the Front Line: Psychotherapy With Gay Men in the Age of AIDS
Halman, M. H. (1994) · Psychosomatics · doi:10.1016/s0033-3182(94)71730-8 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Toward the Development of a Theory of Bereavement Guilt: Sources of Guilt in Bereaved Parents
Miles, M. S., & Demi, A. S. (1984) · OMEGA - Journal of Death and Dying · doi:10.2190/f8pg-pun4-8vw6-rewq · Cited by 39 · see citing works
THE HOLOCAUST AND THE POWER OF POWERLESSNESS: SURVIVOR GUILT AN UNHEALED WOUND
Garwood, A. (1996) · British Journal of Psychotherapy · doi:10.1111/j.1752-0118.1996.tb00880.x · Cited by 38 · see citing works
Literature on Interventions to Address Cancer Patients' Psychosocial Needs
Lacovino, V., & Reesor, K. (1997) · Journal of Psychosocial Oncology · doi:10.1300/j077v15n02_04 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Psychological Impact of the Tsunami on Elderly Survivors
Viswanath, B., Maroky, A. S., Math, S. B., John, J. P., Benegal, V., Hamza, A., & Chaturvedi, S. K. (2012) · American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry · doi:10.1097/jgp.0b013e318246b7e9 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death
Yalom, I. D. (2009) · Reflective practice · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Spared at Random: Survivor Reactions in the Gay Community1
Wayment, H. A., Silver, R. C., & Kemeny, M. E. (1995) · Journal of Applied Social Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.1995.tb01590.x · Cited by 27 · see citing works
The Loss of Illusions: The Potent Legacy of Trauma
Janoff‐Bulman, R., & Frantz, C. M. (1996) · Journal of Personal and Interpersonal Loss · doi:10.1080/15325029608412837 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Surviving Bone Marrow Transplantation: The Patient in the Other Bed
Patenaude, A. F., & RAPPEPORT, J. M. (1982) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-97-6-915 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Disaster and Terrorism: Cognitive-Behavioral Interventions
Walser, R. D., Ruzek, J. I., Naugle, A. E., Padesky, C. A., Ronell, D. M., & Ruggiero, K. (2004) · Prehospital and Disaster Medicine · doi:10.1017/s1049023x00001485 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
The aids crisis and gay male survivor guilt
Boykin, F. F. (1991) · Smith College Studies in Social Work · doi:10.1080/00377319109517367 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Survivor Guilt and Chronic Illness
Vamos, M. J. (1997) · Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.3109/00048679709065082 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
Leys, R. (2006) · Science in Context · doi:10.1017/s0269889705000797 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“it isn’t fair”: postoperative depression and other manifestations of survivor guilt
Blacher, R. S. (2000) · General Hospital Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/s0163-8343(99)00059-6 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Existential Dimensions of Surviving HIV
Machado, S. (2010) · Journal of Humanistic Psychology · doi:10.1177/0022167810389049 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Anna Freud and the Holocaust: Mourning and survival guilt
Hartman, J. J. (2014) · The International Journal of Psychoanalysis · doi:10.1111/1745-8315.12250 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Survivor Guilt in Cancer Patients: A Pastoral Perspective
Maxwell, T., & Aldredge-Clanton, J. (1994) · Journal of Pastoral Care · doi:10.1177/002234099404800104 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
Survivor Guilt: One Way to Understand A Reaction to the Space Shuttle Explosion
Lanza, M. L. (1986) · Issues in Mental Health Nursing · doi:10.3109/01612848609012517 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
3 of the 50 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Survivor guilt: Theoretical, empirical, and clinical features
Fimiani, R., Gazzillo, F., Dazzi, N., & Bush, M. (2021) · International Forum of Psychoanalysis · doi:10.1080/0803706x.2021.1941246 · Cited by 35 · see citing works
Family Adjustment to Hereditary Cancer Syndromes: A Systematic Review
Gomes, P. V. T., Pietrabissa, G., Silva, E., Silva, J., Matos, P. M., Costa, M. E., Bertuzzi, V., Silva, E., Neves, M. C., & Sales, C. M. D. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph19031603 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Burgers, V. W. G., van den Bent, M. J., Dirven, L., Lalisang, R. I., Tromp, J. M., Compter, A., Kouwenhoven, M. C. M., Bos, M. E. M. M., Langen, A. J. D., Reuvers, M. J. P., et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Oncology · doi:10.3389/fonc.2022.994934 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Unmet needs in adolescents and young adults with cancer: A mixed-method study using social media
Choi, E., Becker, H., & Kim, S. (2022) · Journal of Pediatric Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pedn.2022.01.019 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Amonoo, H. L., Brown, L., Scheu, C. F., Harnedy, L. E., Pirl, W. F., El-Jawahri, A. R., & Huffman, J. C. (2020) · European Journal of Cancer Care · doi:10.1111/ecc.13263 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Zhang, C., Zironda, A., Vierkant, R. A., Starlinger, P. P., Warner, S. G., Smoot, R. L., Kendrick, M. L., Cleary, S. P., Truty, M. J., & Thiels, C. A. (2023) · Annals of Surgery · doi:10.1097/sla.0000000000006053 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
Zhai, J., Newton, J., Shimoinaba, K., Chen, H., & Copnell, B. (2020) · Qualitative Health Research · doi:10.1177/1049732320930195 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Sheikhnezhad, L., Hassankhani, H., Sawin, E. M., Sanaat, Z., & Sahebihagh, M. H. (2023) · Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.apjon.2023.100193 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Maas, A., Maurice-Stam, H., van der Aa-van Delden, A. M., van Dalen, E. C., van Dulmen-den Broeder, E., Tissing, W. J. E., Loonen, J. J., van der Pal, H. J. H., de Vries, A. C. H., van den Heuvel-Eibrink, M. M., et al. (2024) · Journal of Cancer Survivorship · doi:10.1007/s11764-023-01394-1 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
MacKenzie, J., & Zhao, M. (2023) · Philosophical Studies · doi:10.1007/s11098-023-02002-9 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Vipler, B. S., Green, M., McCall‐Hosenfeld, J. S., Haidet, P., & Tisdell, E. J. (2022) · Teaching and Learning in Medicine · doi:10.1080/10401334.2022.2062362 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Palladini, M., Mazza, M. G., Scalabrini, A., Rovere, P. Q., Poletti, S., & Benedetti, F. (2023) · Journal of Clinical Medicine · doi:10.3390/jcm12093117 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Sherborne, V., Tod, A., & Taylor, B. H. (2022) · Illness Crisis & Loss · doi:10.1177/10541373221122964 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Boxall, C., Fenlon, D., May, C. R., Nuttall, J., & Hunter, M. S. (2023) · BMC Nursing · doi:10.1186/s12912-023-01441-3 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Exploring Narrative and Coping Strategies of Osteosarcoma Survivors in China: A Qualitative Study
Zhang, P., Hung, S. L., & Fung, K.-K. (2025) · Cancer Reports · doi:10.1002/cnr2.70170 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Almeida, S. N., Elliott, R., Silva, E. R., & Sales, C. M. D. (2024) · Counselling and Psychotherapy Research · doi:10.1002/capr.12624 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Understanding the pains experienced by evacuees during war
Assaraf, N., & Dagan, N. (2025) · Journal of Social Work · doi:10.1177/14680173251357087 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Walker, S. L., Williams, J. S., Lu, K., Dawson, A. Z., & Egede, L. E. (2022) · Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention · doi:10.1158/1055-9965.epi-21-0575 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Flaxer, J. M., Dickerman, A. L., Greenstein, S. P., & Jimenez, X. F. (2025) · Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.jaclp.2025.03.002 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
Meren, S. S., Josfeld, L., Bahlmann, J. C., von Weikersthal, L. F., Männle, H., & Hübner, J. (2025) · Palliative & Supportive Care · doi:10.1017/s1478951524001718
Top Ten Tips Palliative Care Clinicians Should Know About Survivorship in Oncology
McCollom, J. W., Jain, M. S., Kirchner, T. J., Martin, S., Prasad, A., Hart, N. H., Ather, S., Robbins-Welty, G. A., Rosa, W. E., & Nekhlyudov, L. (2025) · Journal of Palliative Medicine · doi:10.1089/jpm.2025.0225
Boxall, C., Fenlon, D., May, C. R., Nuttall, J., & Hunter, M. S. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.24151287
Boxall, C., Fenlon, D., May, C. R., Nuttall, J., & Hunter, M. S. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.24151293
Boxall, C., Fenlon, D., May, C. R., Nuttall, J., & Hunter, M. S. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.24151290
Boxall, C., Fenlon, D., May, C. R., Nuttall, J., & Hunter, M. S. (2023) · Figshare · doi:10.6084/m9.figshare.24151296
Siddique, R., Skardasi, G., Crichton, K., Goodyear, L., Stuckless, T., Etchegary, H., & Savas, S. (2026) · Current Oncology · doi:10.3390/curroncol33080494
Ponce, J. L. A., Vélez, W. A. Z., Sánchez, M. S., & Zavala, G. A. S. (2026) · Diseases · doi:10.3390/diseases14100354
(Inter)mediation and support: core interdisciplinary purposes of social workers in oncology
Correia, C., & Sacramento, O. (2026) · Social Work in Health Care · doi:10.1080/00981389.2026.2744169
Self‐Conscious Emotions and Social Isolation Among Young Adult Cancer Survivors
Ahmad, Z. N., Rosenthal, E. Z., & Ford, J. S. (2026) · Psycho-Oncology · doi:10.1002/pon.70624
- Authors
- Glaser, S., Knowles, K., & Damaskos, P.
- Affiliations
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US)
- Corresponding author
- Knowles, Kimarie
- Venue
- Social Work in Health Care
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2019-07-16
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 764-775
- ISSN
- 0098-1389 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-034X
- OpenAlex
- W2959576780
- Cited by
- 30
- References
- 50
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 5 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 2
- FWCI
- 0.94
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Social Work in Health Care (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Palliative and Oncologic Care
- Keywords
- survivor guilt, cancer survivorship, distress, loss, grief and mourning, helplessness, loss of control, sense of injustice, oncology social work, therapeutic interventions, healthcare teams
- MeSH terms
- Cancer Survivors, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Female, Guilt, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Stress, Psychological
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review