Latent profile analysis of psychological distress in adolescents and young adults with thyroid cancer: A cross-sectional study

Purpose This study aims to identify the potential profiles of psychological distress (PD) among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with thyroid cancer, and to explore the affect factors of different subgroups. Methods Convenience sampling was applied to collect 227 AYAs with thyroid cancer from a general hospital in China. The assessment instrument included the general information questionnaire, Strategies Used by People to Promote Health (SUPPH), and the specific Cancer Distress Scales for Adolescents and Young Adults (CDS-AYA). The latent profile analysis (LPA) method was used to fit the latent psychological distress categories in subjects with AYAs with thyroid cancer. The factors influencing the subgroups of psychological distress were identified using univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression analyses. Results A total of 213 valid questionnaires were received. Three potential profiles of psychological distress were finally identified: “low PD group” (67.1%), “moderate PD with high employment group” (25.8%), and “high PD with high confidence group” (7.1%). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of underlying disease, treatment modality, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM), and self-management efficacy were influencing factors of subgroups. Conclusion The psychological distress level among AYAs with thyroid cancer can be divided into three subgroups, which have obvious classification characteristics. It is suggested that healthcare professionals (HCPs) should pay attention to the mental health status of AYAs with thyroid cancer. And they could adopt personalized interventions for AYAs with different characteristics of psychological distress.