Quality of Life, Mental Health, and Cancer Care Experiences Among Lymphoma Survivors During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Indonesian Study

Wienta Diarsvitri; Carlo Micelli; Putu Niken Ayu Amrita; Sherly Mardiana

doi:10.31557/APJCC.2026.11.5.647

Authors

Wienta Diarsvitri Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Hang Tuah University, Surabaya, Indonesia.
Carlo Micelli Faculty of Medicine, Hang Tuah University, Surabaya, Indonesia. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6722-4223
Putu Niken Ayu Amrita Hematology and Medical Oncology Division, Department of Internal Medicine, Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Surabaya, Indonesia. https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0362-342X
Sherly Mardiana Division of Hematology-Oncology and Center for Cellular Immunotherapies, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4045-7836

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31557/APJCC.2026.11.5.647

Keywords:

Lymphoma, Survivors, Lifestyles, Mental Health, Social Support, Quality of Life

Abstract

Introduction: Lymphoma accounts for a significant share of hematologic cancers globally, including in Indonesia, where the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) has been steadily increasing over time. This study seeks to fill existing gaps by exploring lymphoma survivors’ lifestyles, perceptions of cancer care, mental health, social support, and quality of life across different phases of the disease.

Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited members of the Indonesian Cancer Information and Support Center (CISC) Lymphoma using convenience sampling. All data were collected using an online questionnaire and analyzed using Bonferroni-corrected p-values, effect sizes, 95% confidence intervals, and logistic regression in IBM SPSS version 26.0 for Windows.

Results: A total of 60 lymphoma survivors participated (response rate 24.7%); most were female (65.0%), married (88.3%), unemployed (48.3%), and in the early or post-early treatment phase (80.0%). No significant differences were found between cancer phases in lifestyles, mental health, social support, and quality of life. Treatment delays were more frequent among relapse/palliative survivors than others (41.7% vs. 14.6%; effect size -0.535, 95% CI: -1.000, -0.378); however, treatment delay was not an independent predictor of cancer phase in multivariate analysis, likely due to a small sample size and limited statistical power.

Conclusion: This study highlights the challenges lymphoma survivors faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, underscoring the importance of sustained continuity of care and integrated psychosocial support for individuals at greater risk of care disruption or psychological distress.