Objectives
Cancer patients often experience psychological distress, while optimism has been identified as a protective factor. However, the mental health of postradiotherapy cancer survivors and its association with optimism remain largely unexplored. This study assesses the mental health status and optimism levels of postradiotherapy cancer survivors and evaluates their associations.
Design
Cross-sectional survey study.
Participants
114 Hong Kong cancer survivors who (1) were aged 18 years or above and (2) had received radiotherapy for their cancer treatment and finished the radiotherapy within the previous 3 years (2021–2024).
Outcome measures
Mental health was assessed using the Chinese Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, and optimism was measured using the Revised Life Orientation Test. Correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the associations between these measures.
Results
Participants reported overall low optimism with mild to moderate depression, anxiety and stress. Strong negative correlations were identified between optimism and depression (r=–0.833, p