The Impact of a Personal Cancer Diagnosis on the Psychological Health of Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Methods Study

Pooja Rao; Katie A. Devine; Kristin Bingen; Allison M. Scott; Laura M. Koehly; Courtney L. Rumbaugh; Emily Wasserman; Heather J. Costigan; Smita Dandekar; Natthapol Songdej; George F. Blackall; Eugene J. Lengerich; Lauren J. Van Scoy

doi:10.1002/pon.70272

The Impact of a Personal Cancer Diagnosis on the Psychological Health of Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Methods Study

Pooja Rao
, Katie A. Devine
, Kristin Bingen
, Allison M. Scott
, Laura M. Koehly
, Courtney L. Rumbaugh
, Emily Wasserman
, Heather J. Costigan
, Smita Dandekar
, Natthapol Songdej
, George F. Blackall
, Eugene J. Lengerich
, Lauren J. Van Scoy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

Background: Adolescent/young adult cancer survivors (AYACS), describing people diagnosed with cancer between 15 and 39 years old across the cancer continuum, suffer from poor psychological health. Poor psychological health is associated with difficulty achieving professional goals, financial stress, and poorer health. Aims: The objective of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to understand AYACS’ perspectives on how a personal cancer diagnosis impacts psychological health. Methods: In this convergent mixed methods study, data from 35 AYACS participants were collected consisting of Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Anxiety and Depression measures, a sociodemographic survey, and semi-structured interviews. Results: Mixed methods integration revealed the following for AYACS across the cancer continuum: (1) A need for proactive and longitudinal addressal of psychological health; (2) Promotion of social connectedness as a means of coping with illness; (3) A need for innovative and age-appropriate coping strategies; and (4) Promotion of resilience to help improve psychological health. Conclusions: This study provides direction for intervention development to improve psychological health.

Original language	English
Article number	e70272
Journal	Psycho-Oncology
Volume	34
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.70272
State	Published - Sep 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Psycho-Oncology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Funding

Funding: Supported by an Institutional Research Grant, IRG-17-175-04 from the American Cancer Society, Four Diamonds, Penn State Early-Stage Investigator Training Program (KL2), and in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. Supported by National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, through Grant UL1 TR002014 & Grant UL1 TR00045. Supported by an Institutional Research Grant, IRG‐17‐175‐04 from the American Cancer Society, Four Diamonds, Penn State Early‐Stage Investigator Training Program (KL2), and in part by the Intramural Research Program of the National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health. Funding:

Funders	Funder number
National Human Genome Research Institute
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
American Cancer Society-Michigan Cancer Research Fund	KL2
National Institutes of Health (NIH)	UL1 TR00045, UL1 TR002014

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

adolescent/young adult cancer survivor
mixed methods
psycho-oncology
psychological health

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
Oncology
Psychiatry and Mental health

Access to Document

10.1002/pon.70272

Cite this

Rao, P., Devine, K. A., Bingen, K., Scott, A. M., Koehly, L. M., Rumbaugh, C. L., Wasserman, E., Costigan, H. J., Dandekar, S., Songdej, N., Blackall, G. F., Lengerich, E. J., & Van Scoy, L. J. (2025). The Impact of a Personal Cancer Diagnosis on the Psychological Health of Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Methods Study. Psycho-Oncology, 34(9), Article e70272. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.70272

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title = "The Impact of a Personal Cancer Diagnosis on the Psychological Health of Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Methods Study",

abstract = "Background: Adolescent/young adult cancer survivors (AYACS), describing people diagnosed with cancer between 15 and 39 years old across the cancer continuum, suffer from poor psychological health. Poor psychological health is associated with difficulty achieving professional goals, financial stress, and poorer health. Aims: The objective of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to understand AYACS{\textquoteright} perspectives on how a personal cancer diagnosis impacts psychological health. Methods: In this convergent mixed methods study, data from 35 AYACS participants were collected consisting of Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Anxiety and Depression measures, a sociodemographic survey, and semi-structured interviews. Results: Mixed methods integration revealed the following for AYACS across the cancer continuum: (1) A need for proactive and longitudinal addressal of psychological health; (2) Promotion of social connectedness as a means of coping with illness; (3) A need for innovative and age-appropriate coping strategies; and (4) Promotion of resilience to help improve psychological health. Conclusions: This study provides direction for intervention development to improve psychological health.",

keywords = "adolescent/young adult cancer survivor, mixed methods, psycho-oncology, psychological health",

author = "Pooja Rao and Devine, \{Katie A.\} and Kristin Bingen and Scott, \{Allison M.\} and Koehly, \{Laura M.\} and Rumbaugh, \{Courtney L.\} and Emily Wasserman and Costigan, \{Heather J.\} and Smita Dandekar and Natthapol Songdej and Blackall, \{George F.\} and Lengerich, \{Eugene J.\} and \{Van Scoy\}, \{Lauren J.\}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s). Psycho-Oncology published by John Wiley \& Sons Ltd.",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1002/pon.70272",

language = "English",

volume = "34",

number = "9",

}

Rao, P, Devine, KA, Bingen, K, Scott, AM, Koehly, LM, Rumbaugh, CL, Wasserman, E, Costigan, HJ, Dandekar, S, Songdej, N, Blackall, GF, Lengerich, EJ & Van Scoy, LJ 2025, 'The Impact of a Personal Cancer Diagnosis on the Psychological Health of Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Methods Study', Psycho-Oncology, vol. 34, no. 9, e70272. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.70272

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Impact of a Personal Cancer Diagnosis on the Psychological Health of Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors

T2 - A Mixed Methods Study

AU - Rao, Pooja

AU - Devine, Katie A.

AU - Bingen, Kristin

AU - Scott, Allison M.

AU - Koehly, Laura M.

AU - Rumbaugh, Courtney L.

AU - Wasserman, Emily

AU - Costigan, Heather J.

AU - Dandekar, Smita

AU - Songdej, Natthapol

AU - Blackall, George F.

AU - Lengerich, Eugene J.

AU - Van Scoy, Lauren J.

PY - 2025/9

Y1 - 2025/9

N2 - Background: Adolescent/young adult cancer survivors (AYACS), describing people diagnosed with cancer between 15 and 39 years old across the cancer continuum, suffer from poor psychological health. Poor psychological health is associated with difficulty achieving professional goals, financial stress, and poorer health. Aims: The objective of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to understand AYACS’ perspectives on how a personal cancer diagnosis impacts psychological health. Methods: In this convergent mixed methods study, data from 35 AYACS participants were collected consisting of Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Anxiety and Depression measures, a sociodemographic survey, and semi-structured interviews. Results: Mixed methods integration revealed the following for AYACS across the cancer continuum: (1) A need for proactive and longitudinal addressal of psychological health; (2) Promotion of social connectedness as a means of coping with illness; (3) A need for innovative and age-appropriate coping strategies; and (4) Promotion of resilience to help improve psychological health. Conclusions: This study provides direction for intervention development to improve psychological health.

AB - Background: Adolescent/young adult cancer survivors (AYACS), describing people diagnosed with cancer between 15 and 39 years old across the cancer continuum, suffer from poor psychological health. Poor psychological health is associated with difficulty achieving professional goals, financial stress, and poorer health. Aims: The objective of this study was to use a mixed methods approach to understand AYACS’ perspectives on how a personal cancer diagnosis impacts psychological health. Methods: In this convergent mixed methods study, data from 35 AYACS participants were collected consisting of Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Anxiety and Depression measures, a sociodemographic survey, and semi-structured interviews. Results: Mixed methods integration revealed the following for AYACS across the cancer continuum: (1) A need for proactive and longitudinal addressal of psychological health; (2) Promotion of social connectedness as a means of coping with illness; (3) A need for innovative and age-appropriate coping strategies; and (4) Promotion of resilience to help improve psychological health. Conclusions: This study provides direction for intervention development to improve psychological health.

KW - adolescent/young adult cancer survivor

KW - mixed methods

KW - psycho-oncology

KW - psychological health

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JO - Psycho-Oncology

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ER -

The Impact of a Personal Cancer Diagnosis on the Psychological Health of Adolescent/Young Adult Cancer Survivors: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

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Cite this