Risk perception, treatment adherence, and personality during COVID-19 pandemic: An international study on cancer patients

Objective To explore the role of personality traits in moderating the relation between COVID-19 risk perception and treatment adherence, and between risk perception and psychosocial distress in patients diagnosed with cancer. Methods An online survey (n = 1281) was conducted worldwide in seven countries (Austria, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Turkey). Inclusion criteria were to be 18 years of age or older, have received a cancer diagnosis, and be in treatment or follow-up. A few moderated regression models were performed with both personality traits and Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology super-spectra as moderators. Results Detachment, negative affectivity, psychoticism and all the super-spectra significantly moderated the relation between coronavirus risk perception and psychosocial distress, after the adjusting effect of confidence in safeguards. Only negative affectivity moderated the association between coronavirus risk perception and treatment adherence. Conclusions Personality traits may foster the understanding of how a patient might adjust to cancer treatment and, more generically, to highly stressful events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is needed to confirm the results in different cancer stages and types.

Automated summary

This study investigates the role of personality traits in moderating the relationship between COVID-19 risk perception and treatment adherence, and between risk perception and psychosocial distress in cancer patients. The results suggest that personality traits may influence how patients adjust to cancer treatment and other highly stressful events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Further research is needed to confirm these findings in different cancer stages and types.