Screening for emotional suppression in MRD-positive leukemia patients: A risk-stratified approach to guide nurse-led psychosocial care

The presence of minimal residual disease (MRD) in acute leukemia patients post-chemotherapy is a crucial prognostic factor. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and determinants of emotional suppression in MRD-positive acute leukemia patients to inform targeted interventions. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 139 MRD-positive acute leukemia patients undergoing chemotherapy at a tertiary hospital in Handan, Hebei province (January 2023–December 2024). Patients completed validated measures assessing emotional suppression, social constraints, and alexithymia (Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20). Multivariate regression analysis identified Age, disease stage, relapse status, insurance type (out-of-pocket vs. insured), social constraints, and alexithymia as significant predictors of emotional suppression (all P