Psychological Distress in Young Adults with Acute Myeloid Leukemia Undergoing Induction Chemotherapy

Young adults (YAs), aged 18-39 years, with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) navigate life disruptions amid an unpredictable illness trajectory. We conducted a secondary analysis of patient-reported outcomes for hospitalized YAs with high-risk AML receiving intensive chemotherapy, collected during a multisite randomized clinical trial. Of the 160 patients, 14 (8.8%) were YAs. At week 2 of hospitalization, YAs demonstrated significant worse quality of life (beta = -18.27; p = 0.036), higher anxiety (beta = 2.72; p = 0.048), and higher post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; beta = 10.34; p = 0.007) compared with older adults. Our analysis demonstrated a longitudinal presence of anxiety and PTSD, suggesting persistent unmet psychological needs for YAs with AML.

Automated summary

This study found that young adults with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) experience significant disruptions in their quality of life and higher levels of anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to older adults. These psychological needs persist throughout their hospitalization.