Psychosocial distress

Psychosocial distress refers to the unpleasant emotions or psychological symptoms an individual has when they are overwhelmed, which negatively impacts their quality of life. Psychosocial distress is most commonly used in medical care to refer to the emotional distress experienced by populations of patients and caregivers of patients with complex chronic conditions such as cancer,^[1] diabetes,^[2] and cardiovascular conditions,^[3] which confer heavy symptom burdens that are often overwhelming, due to the disease's association with death.^[4] Due to the significant history of psychosocial distress in cancer treatment, and a lack of reliable secondary resources documenting distress in other contexts, psychosocial distress will be mainly discussed in the context of oncology.

Although the terms "Psychological" and "Psychosocial" are frequently used interchangeably, their definitions are dissimilar. While "Psychological" refers to an individual’s mental and emotional state, “Psychosocial” refers to how one's ideas, feelings, and behaviors influence and are influenced by social circumstances.^[5] While psychological distress refers to the influence of internal processes on psychological wellbeing, psychosocial factors additionally include external, social, and interpersonal influences.^[5]

Psychosocial distress is commonly caused by clinically related trauma, personal life changes, and extraneous stressors, which negatively influences the patient's mood, cognition, and interpersonal activity, eroding the patient's wellbeing and quality of life.^[6] Symptoms manifest as psychological disorders, decreased ability to work and communicate, and a range of health issues related to stress and metabolism. Distress management aims to improve the disease symptoms and wellbeing of patients, it involves the screening and triage of patients to optimal treatments and careful outcome monitoring.

However, stigmatization of psychosocial distress is present in various sectors of society and cultures, causing many patients to avoid diagnosis and treatment, in which further action is required to ensure their safety. As an increasingly relevant field in medical care, further research is required for the development of better treatments for psychosocial distress, with relation to diverse demographics and advances in digital platforms.