Having Trust in Doctors Influences Emotional and Physical Wellbeing of Cancer Survivors: Study

Cancer patients who lack faith in doctors and physicians are more likely to suffer from physical and emotional distress, according to a study.

It is known that interpersonal relations established with a health care provider influence patients' recovery rate and well being. Psychologists at Slotervaart Hospital in Amsterdam in Netherlands say many patients who have attachment issues mostly desire for close emotional relations with their doctors and also have fear rejections or abandonment. Their study found the physical and emotional conditions deteriorate among those who lack trust in their doctors.  

The experts interviewed 119 individuals with breast, cervical, intestinal and prostate cancer at frequent intervals after being diagnosed with these conditions. Almost 80 percent of the cancer survivors were women aged about 59 on average. The researchers noted their level of trust in physicians and attachment or avoidance along with patients' physical conditions and emotional statuses.

It was observed patients who had low levels of trust on doctors experienced more health complications, physical limitation and mental distress. In addition, the study found people who were neglected in their childhood years craved attention and close relations with their doctors. These individuals also had extreme fear of being forsaken and not being able to trust caregivers, which caused more anxiety and amplified their ailments.

Patients with life-threatening conditions like cancer specially need moral and emotional support to undergo complex and painful treatments. Cancer survivors often develop kinship with doctors over course of time and also have elevated risk of not getting used to treatment routine.

"As physicians we try to place patients with doctors that match a patient's style, but that doesn't always happen. Instead, patients may move and look for other relationships on their own," said Michelle B. Riba, M.D., professor and associate chair for Integrated Medical and Psychiatric Services at the University of Michigan in a news release.

"Since the patient-physician relationship has such an impact on patient well-being. Especially for those who are most vulnerable, limiting free choice of a cancer physician seems foolish," added Chris Hinnen, lead author and clinical psychologist at Slotervaart Hospital in Amsterdam.

 More information is available online in the journal General Hospital Psychiatry.