Hou R, Xue XR, Qiao JY, Liu BX. Home-based hospice care alleviates the burden of mental disorders in older patients with advanced cancer. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(9): 119705 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.119705]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Bing-Xin Liu, MM, Chief Nurse, Department of Hospice, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital/Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, No. 3 Employee New Village, Xinghualing District, Taiyuan 030013, Shanxi Province, China. 13754874189@163.com
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Psychiatry
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Hou R, Xue XR, Qiao JY, Liu BX. Home-based hospice care alleviates the burden of mental disorders in older patients with advanced cancer. World J Psychiatry 2026; 16(9): 119705 [DOI: 10.5498/wjp.119705]
World J Psychiatry. Sep 19, 2026; 16(9): 119705 Published online Sep 19, 2026. doi: 10.5498/wjp.119705
Home-based hospice care alleviates the burden of mental disorders in older patients with advanced cancer
Rong Hou, Xiao-Rui Xue, Jing-Ying Qiao, Bing-Xin Liu
Rong Hou, Xiao-Rui Xue, Bing-Xin Liu, Department of Hospice, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital/Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030013, Shanxi Province, China
Jing-Ying Qiao, Department of Psychology, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital/Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan 030013, Shanxi Province, China
Author contributions: Hou R conceived and designed the research, performed the experiments, analyzed and interpreted the data, drafted the manuscript, and revised it critically for important intellectual content; Xue XR assisted in experimental design, collected and processed experimental data, participated in data analysis and discussion, and contributed to manuscript revision; Qiao JY provided technical support for the experiments, validated the analytical methods, participated in result interpretation, and commented on the manuscript; Liu BX supervised the entire research project, guided the experimental design and data analysis, revised the manuscript for final publication, and is responsible for all aspects of the work to ensure accuracy and integrity; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
AI contribution statement: The author declares that all the content of the manuscript was written by the author and no AI tools were used.
Institutional review board statement: The study was reviewed and approved by the Ethics Committee of Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital.
Informed consent statement: The Ethics Committee approved a waiver for informed consent.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Data sharing statement: The datasets used in this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Corresponding author: Bing-Xin Liu, MM, Chief Nurse, Department of Hospice, Shanxi Province Cancer Hospital/Shanxi Hospital Affiliated to Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Cancer Hospital Affiliated to Shanxi Medical University, No. 3 Employee New Village, Xinghualing District, Taiyuan 030013, Shanxi Province, China. 13754874189@163.com
Received: April 8, 2026 Revised: May 13, 2026 Accepted: May 27, 2026 Published online: September 19, 2026 Processing time: 138 Days and 0.7 Hours
Abstract
BACKGROUND
With global aging accelerating, older patients with advanced cancer face a severe burden of mental disorders, such as anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances, which is worsened by physical symptoms and psychosocial stress. However, conventional hospital care does not address their holistic needs.
AIM
To explore the effect of home-based hospice care on the burden of mental disorders among older patients with advanced cancer.
METHODS
In this retrospective study, we retrospectively reviewed data from 252 older patients with advanced cancer. The data were extracted from the existing clinical database of a home-based hospice care program (April 2023 to May 2025). Patients were divided into two groups based on the care they actually received: Group A (control) received conventional care; Group B (observation) received home-based hospice care. Pre-existing scores from the following instruments were retrieved from the database and compared between the two groups: Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Revised Piper Fatigue Scale (PFS-R), 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17), Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G).
RESULTS
Prior to the intervention, HAMA, PFS-R, HAMD-17, ESAS, PSQI, and FACT-G scores showed no statistical differences between the two groups (all P > 0.05). Post-intervention, both groups demonstrated reductions in scores on the first five scales (all P < 0.05), with group B’s scores significantly lower than those of group A (all P < 0.05). For FACT-G, physical scores fell in both groups, while emotional, functional, and social/family well-being scores increased significantly in group B, which also recorded a notably higher total score (all P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION
Home-based hospice care in older patients with advanced cancer results in the alleviation of mental disorder-related psychological burden, improvement in sleep quality, and enhancement of overall quality of life.
Core Tip: In older patients with advanced cancer, a high burden of mental disorders and poor sleep quality are common challenges. The present research investigated the clinical utility of home hospice services for this population. Compared with traditional treatment and care approaches, home-based end-of-life care incorporating multidisciplinary nursing, symptom control, psychological support, and caregiver training markedly mitigates anxiety, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbances, while also contributing to better overall quality of life. This conclusion provides solid evidence and practical guidance for end-of-life care practice in older patients with advanced malignant tumors.
