Yinglong Duan

1 Introduction Adolescents and young adults (AYA) aged 15–39 represent a highly unique clinical subgroup in the field of oncology (Bhatia et al. 2023). According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), AYA cancer patients are in a critical transitional period of physiological maturation, psychological independence, and social role establishment.

Keywords Character Psychological distress Social support Cancer Young adult Gender difference Introduction Psychological distress is a significant mental health challenge for adolescents and young adults with cancer (AYAC) globally, defined by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) as “a multifactorial, unpleasant experience of a psychologic, physical, social, or spiritual nature.”1 The distress encompasses emotions such as depression, anxiety, panic, sadness, sleep disturbances,...

In this cohort, the score for the perceived self-efficacy subscale (3.59?±?0.76) was highest, while the score for perceived barriers (2.52?±?0.67) subscale was lowest. These perceived benefits, susceptibility for the reduction, and no reduction of sodium intake subscale scores were significantly higher in female than in male patients (p?<?0.05).