Citation :

Sasha Rastogi, "Psychosocial Experience of Cancer Diagnosis in India: Disclosure Practices, Coping Mechanisms, and Barriers to Mental Health Support," International Journal of Humanities and Social Science, vol. 13, no. 5, pp. 9-20, 2026. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.14445/23942703/IJHSS-V13I5P102

Abstract

Cancer diagnosis brings tremendous psychological turmoil in India; psychosocial and neuropsychological coping, however, are under-researched in a family-centred Indian health system with limited psycho-oncology support structure. The present study was designed to investigate psychosocial distress among cancer patients after diagnosis, with the objectives of assessing the severity of emotional distress following diagnosis, disclosure patterns, coping strategies specific to the Indian context, and barriers to accessing mental health care in a government hospital in India. Primary data was collected through a self-designed questionnaire, and there were a total of 77 respondents from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), AIIMS, and Badsa. The results indicated a high level of emotional distress (mean = 3.36, SD = 0.86) and the primary pattern of diagnosis disclosure was through family members (67.5%) instead of by physicians directly, showing the family-oriented approach to healthcare. Almost half of the sample experienced social withdrawal following the diagnosis (48.1%), and the most common coping mechanisms included acceptance (45.5%), prayer/meditation (40.3%) and family support (64.9% as a factor supporting initial acceptance). Family support showed a small, negative but statistically non-significant correlation with overall perceived stress (r = −.20, p = .088), while its association with day-to-day emotional distress was negligible and non-significant (r = −.02, p = .875); a distinct anxiety measure was not available in this dataset. High distress nonetheless co-occurred with high family support, suggesting that there is more to psychological buffering than family support alone. Although there is a high unmet need for mental health care, structural barriers such as financial access and stigma, along with the lack of standardised psychosocial care guidelines, hinder access to professional mental health care. In the context of this finding, the importance of culturally sensitive, family-centred psycho-oncology interventions in cancer care at government facilities in India is highlighted.

Keywords

Cancer Coping Strategies, Diagnosis Disclosure, Emotional Distress, Family Support, Psycho-Oncology.

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