Psychological empowerment and quality of life in haematopoietic stem cell transplantation patients: A quantitative study

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between psychological empowerment, depression, anxiety, and quality of life in people with haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). DESIGN: A longitudinal prospective study. METHODS: A sample of 150 people with haematological was recruited at Santaros Clinics in Lithuania between September 2020 and April 2022. Demographic characteristics, cancer‐related characteristics, depression, anxiety, psychological empowerment and quality of life (QoL) were assessed using self‐report questionnaires before and 10–12 weeks after HSCT. Descriptive statistics, correlation and moderation analyses were performed. RESULTS: The results showed that psychological empowerment had a significant correlation with patients’ depression, anxiety and QoL. Patients who were more empowered before HSCT had a subjectively better QoL before and after HSCT and were less depressed after transplantation. The results showed that empowerment was a moderator between depression and QoL after transplantation, but it had a significant effect on the QoL only among patients who are less depressed. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: With this study, we aim to contribute to a better understanding of the psychological experiences of people with HSCT. Particularly, psychological empowerment is an important factor in preparing for this treatment. Medical professionals like nurses can be crucial contributors to implementing and strengthening psychological empowerment.