Exploring the Relationship Between Fear of Cancer Recurrence and Sleep Quality in Cancer Survivors
Abstract
Fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and sleep disturbance are identified as top psychosocial concerns in cancer survivorship, yet few studies have explored the association between these two factors. Using data from a study of 67 cancer survivors, hierarchical logistic regression models examined the relationships between socio-demographic characteristics, FCR, and sleep disturbance. More than half of survivors reported poor sleep quality; those with some college education and those with higher levels of FCR were at greater risk for poor sleep. These findings provide formative data for oncology social workers to implement interventions that target FCR as a strategy for improving sleep.
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Clinical FCR is associated with impairment in functioning, psychological distress, sleep difficulties, stress response symptoms, and lower quality of life in cancer survivors.
“clinical FCR is associated with impairment in functioning, psychological distress, sleep difficulties, stress response symptoms, and lower quality of life (QoL) [3–9].”
Excessive fear of cancer recurrence is associated with adverse health outcomes including psychological distress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and impaired quality of life.
“Excessive levels of FCR can be highly debilitating and are associated with several adverse health outcomes, including psychological distress, depression, anxiety, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and overall impaired quality of life. 3-6”
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- Authors
- Berrett-Abebe, J., Cadet, T., Pirl, W., & Lennes, I.
- Affiliations
- Simmons University (US)
- Massachusetts General Hospital (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Psychosocial Oncology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-03-09
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 297-309
- ISSN
- 0734-7332 (ISSN-L)
- 1540-7586
- OpenAlex
- W1983738085
- Cited by
- 35
- References
- 28
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 6 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1 · 2015: 1
- FWCI
- 0.58
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Psychosocial Oncology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DigitalCommons - Fairfield (Fairfield University) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer survivorship and care
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Sleep and related disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life
- Keywords
- fear of cancer recurrence, sleep quality, sleep disorders, cancer survivors, cancer survivorship, educational attainment, sociodemographic factors
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Fear, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasm Recurrence, Local, Sleep Wake Disorders, Multivariate Analysis, Survivors, Risk Assessment
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