What is demoralization?
Demoralization is a serious mental health concern which can lead to suicidal thoughts.1 Prevalent in individuals diagnosed with life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, it is characterized by a sense of failure, disheartenment, helplessness, hopelessness, loss of purpose, an inability to cope, and suicidal thinking.2, 3 It is differentiated from depression, which, in addition to feelings of hopelessness, is associated with someone’s loss of interest or pleasure in activities or things they once enjoyed.4, 5 See: What are the symptoms of depression?
Footnotes
1. Robinson, et al. (2015 March). A Systematic Review of the Demoralization Syndrome in Individuals with Progressive Disease and Cancer: A Decade of Research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
2. Robinson, S., et al. (2015 March). A Systematic Review of the Demoralization Syndrome in Individuals with Progressive Disease and Cancer: A Decade of Research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
3. Vehling, S. et al. (2017, May 4). The Association with Mental Disorders and Suicidal Ideation in Patients with Cancer. ACS Journal. The American Cancer Society. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.30749
4. Robinson, S., et al. (2015 March). A Systematic Review of the Demoralization Syndrome in Individuals with Progressive Disease and Cancer: A Decade of Research. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
5. National Institute of Mental Health (2022 September). Depression. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/depression