A study on the influence of applied psychological nursing intervention on psychological stress and quality of life of terminally ill elderly cancer patients

Objective: To investigate the effects of psychological nursing combined with palliative care on psychological stress and quality of life in elderly patients with malignant tumors. Methods: A total of 120 terminally ill elderly patients with malignant tumors were randomly assigned to an observation group (n = 60) or a control group (n = 60). The control group received palliative care, whereas the observation group received psychological nursing in addition to palliative care. Psychological stress and quality of life were compared between groups after the intervention. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 26.0, employing t-tests or χ2 tests as appropriate. Results: After the intervention, both groups showed significant reductions in pain intensity, pain beliefs, and the impact of pain on activities, along with increased satisfaction with pain control. The observation group demonstrated significantly greater improvements than the control group (P < 0.05). Quality-of-life scores increased significantly in both groups, with larger improvements in the observation group (P < 0.05). Sleep indicators also improved: actual sleep duration increased, sleep latency shortened, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores decreased, with more pronounced changes in the observation group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, scores for anxiety (HAMA), depression (HAMD), cancer-related fatigue, and dignity-related dimensions (social support, spiritual peace, independence, psychological status, and symptom distress) all decreased significantly in both groups, with greater reductions in the observation group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Psychological nursing combined with palliative care significantly reduces psychological stress, relieves pain, improves cancer-related fatigue, enhances sleep quality, and promotes dignity among terminally ill elderly patients with malignant tumors. This integrated approach shows considerable clinical value.