Study of the correlations between loneliness, disease uncertainty, and perceived social support among elderly patients with digestive tract tumors during treatment

Objective: To explore whether there are correlations between loneliness, disease uncertainty, and perceived social support among elderly patients with digestive tract tumors. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 149 patients with digestive tract tumors. A general information questionnaire, the Chinese version of the Cancer Patient Loneliness Scale, the Disease Uncertainty Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Assessment Scale were used. Results: The mean score on the Cancer Patient Loneliness Scale was 31.22 +/- 2.62 points; the mean score on the Disease Uncertainty Scale was 135.06 +/- 8.15 points; and the mean score on the Perceived Social Support Scale was 59.69 +/- 5.96 points. There was a positive correlation between loneliness and disease uncertainty (r=0.745, P<0.001), and there was a negative correlation between loneliness and perceived social support (r=0.494, P<0.001). Conclusion: Disease uncertainty and social support directly predicted loneliness among elderly patients with digestive tract tumors. Social support partially mediated the relationship between loneliness and disease uncertainty, accounting for 57.20% of the total effect. Clinical medical staff need to devote more attention to elderly patients being treated for digestive tract tumors, and psychological interventions should be implemented to enhance social support from society and families, thereby reducing patients' feelings of loneliness.