Help-seeking for Emotional and Sexual Concerns Among Prostate Cancer Survivors: Examining the Relationships Between Psychosocial Factors and Intention to Seek Help

Abstract

Many men with prostate cancer (PCa) experience emotional disturbances and sexual difficulties after diagnosis and treatment, yet rates of help-seeking for these issues are low. Given PCa survival rates have increased and PCa significantly impacts men's wellbeing and quality of life, it has become increasingly important to identify predictors of and barriers to help-seeking for psychosocial concerns. Existing literature has predominantly focused on the predictors of men's help-seeking for physical health issues after PCa treatment. However, factors associated with help-seeking for emotional and sexual concerns from psychosocial providers have not been studied on a large scale using a representative sample. To address this gap, the present study used data from a large cross-sectional self-report survey that recruited participants with PCa through the South Australian Prostate Cancer Clinical Outcome Collaborative registry. Potential predictors of help-seeking intention were selected using Andersen's Behavioural Model of Health Services Use and assessed by two hierarchical binary logistic regression models. Results indicated that less time since treatment, radiation as initial treatment, positive attitudes towards seeking professional psychological help, greater unmet psychological need, and greater fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) were significantly associated with intention to seek help for emotional concerns. Significant predictors of intention to seek help for sexual concerns were less time since treatment, greater importance/priority of sex, and greater unmet sexuality needs. These findings have important implications for health promotion, particularly the need for routine screening of FCR and unmet need as well as attitudes-based interventions that appeal to men's ideals about sexual importance.