{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,24]],"date-time":"2026-06-24T10:50:42Z","timestamp":1782298242312,"version":"3.54.5"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1775088000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study examined how cancer-related beliefs, information-seeking behaviors, and discussions about health with family or friends relate to depressive symptoms (PHQ-2\u2009\u2265\u20093) among U.S. adults, using data from the 2024 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 7; unweighted N\u2009=\u20096,826). Associations were estimated using survey-weighted logistic regression with jackknife replicate weights, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and personal or family cancer history; results are reported as adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Weighted estimates indicate that approximately 15.5% of respondents screened positive for depression. Fatalistic beliefs, particularly the views that everything causes cancer (OR = 1.86; 95% CI: 1.39\u20132.48), prevention is not possible (OR = 1.69; 95% CI: 1.25\u20132.28), and cancer automatically means death (OR = 1.75; 95% CI: 1.31\u20132.34), were significantly associated with higher odds of screening positive for depression. In contrast, neither cancer information seeking (OR = 1.12; 95% CI: 0.83\u20131.51) nor discussions about health with family or friends (OR = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.62\u20131.30) showed a significant independent association with depression. In moderation analyses, discussions about health with family or friends weakened the positive association between each fatalistic belief and depression, but these interaction effects were not statistically significant. Sensitivity analyses using multiple imputation for missing data and restricting the analyses to respondents without a personal cancer history produced consistent results. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0346262","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T17:25:06Z","timestamp":1775150706000},"page":"e0346262","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Helpful or harmful? How cancer beliefs and information seeking relate to depression in U.S. adults"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0009-9892-3121","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Ama Gyesiwaa","family":"Quansah","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Helena","family":"Baffoe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-1128-4149","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Solomon","family":"Eshun","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]]},"reference":[{"key":"pone.0346262.ref001","author":"American Cancer Society","year":"2023"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0346262.ref002","first-page":"10","article-title":"Cancer statistics, 2025","volume":"75","author":"RL Siegel","year":"2025","journal-title":"CA Cancer J Clin"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref003","first-page":"298","article-title":"Fatalism and exposure to health information from the media: examining the evidence for causal influence","volume":"41","author":"S Ramondt","year":"2017","journal-title":"Ann Int Commun Assoc"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0346262.ref004","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"998","DOI":"10.1158\/1055-9965.EPI-06-0608","article-title":"Fatalistic beliefs about cancer prevention and three prevention behaviors","volume":"16","author":"J Niederdeppe","year":"2007","journal-title":"Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref005","first-page":"219","article-title":"The cognitive-social health information-processing (C-SHIP) model: a theoretical framework for research in behavioral oncology.","volume-title":"Technology and methods in behavioral medicine","author":"SM Miller","year":"1998"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0346262.ref006","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"70","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.119.1.70","article-title":"Applying cognitive-social theory to health-protective behavior: breast self-examination in cancer screening","volume":"119","author":"SM Miller","year":"1996","journal-title":"Psychol Bull"},{"issue":"7","key":"pone.0346262.ref007","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"517","DOI":"10.1002\/pon.864","article-title":"The role of cancer worry in cancer screening: a theoretical and empirical review of the literature","volume":"14","author":"JL Hay","year":"2005","journal-title":"Psychooncology"},{"issue":"12","key":"pone.0346262.ref008","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1518","DOI":"10.1177\/1359105313494924","article-title":"Perceptions of cancer as a death sentence: prevalence and consequences","volume":"19","author":"RP Moser","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Health Psychol"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0346262.ref009","article-title":"Cancer fatalism: the state of the science","volume":"26","author":"BD Powe","year":"2003","journal-title":"Cancer Nurs"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0346262.ref010","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"366","DOI":"10.1080\/19325037.2017.1358119","article-title":"The effect of cancer information seeking on perceptions of cancer risks, fatalism, and worry among a U.S. national sample","volume":"48","author":"AO Amuta","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am J Health Educ"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref011","first-page":"110992","article-title":"How is fatalistic determinism linked to depression? The mediating role of self-control and resilience","volume":"180","author":"J Fu","year":"2021","journal-title":"PAID"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0346262.ref012","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"705","DOI":"10.1007\/s12529-022-10136-z","article-title":"Fatalism and psychological distress among Chinese American Breast Cancer Survivors: mediating role of perceived self-control and fear of cancer recurrence","volume":"30","author":"W Tsai","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Behav Med"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0346262.ref013","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.heliyon.2024.e27617","article-title":"Fatalism and depressive symptoms among Chinese college students: mediation models of locus of control and positive coping","volume":"10","author":"Y Zhang","year":"2024","journal-title":"Heliyon"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0346262.ref014","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"511","DOI":"10.1002\/pon.5596","article-title":"Perceptions of cancer as a death sentence: tracking trends in public perceptions from 2008 to 2017","volume":"30","author":"RP Moser","year":"2021","journal-title":"Psychooncology"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0346262.ref015","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"192","DOI":"10.4103\/2347-5625.182936","article-title":"In Asian Americans, is having a family member diagnosed with cancer associated with fatalistic beliefs?","volume":"3","author":"C Polek","year":"2016","journal-title":"Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0346262.ref016","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1037\/rev0000033","article-title":"Learned helplessness at fifty: insights from neuroscience","volume":"123","author":"SF Maier","year":"2016","journal-title":"Psychol Rev"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0346262.ref017","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"477","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1460-2466.2001.tb02892.x","article-title":"Communication and uncertainty management","volume":"51","author":"DE Brashers","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Commun"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref018","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"258","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1468-2958.2002.tb00807.x","article-title":"Information seeking and avoiding in health contexts","volume":"28","author":"DE Brashers","year":"2002","journal-title":"Hum Commun Res"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0346262.ref019","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"63","DOI":"10.1080\/03637750009376495","article-title":"Communication in the management of uncertainty: the case of persons living with HIV or AIDS","volume":"67","author":"DE Brashers","year":"2000","journal-title":"Commun Monogr"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0346262.ref020","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1006","DOI":"10.1177\/1049732307305199","article-title":"Health information seeking behavior","volume":"17","author":"SD Lambert","year":"2007","journal-title":"Qual Health Res"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0346262.ref021","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"347","DOI":"10.1080\/10410236.2019.1692489","article-title":"Feel worried, overloaded, or fatalistic? The determinants of cancer uncertainty management preferences","volume":"36","author":"W Peng","year":"2021","journal-title":"Health Commun"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0346262.ref022","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"223","DOI":"10.1007\/s11606-007-0406-y","article-title":"Frustrated and confused: the American public rates its cancer-related information-seeking experiences","volume":"23","author":"NK Arora","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Gen Intern Med"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref023","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108799","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pec.2025.108799","article-title":"Linking internet health information seeking to psychological distress among Chinese adults with a family cancer history: the attenuating role of patient-clinician communication of internet searches","volume":"137","author":"YK Lai","year":"2025","journal-title":"Patient Educ Couns"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref024","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.2196\/51127","article-title":"Perceptions of health misinformation on social media: cross-sectional survey study","volume":"4","author":"A Gaysynsky","year":"2024","journal-title":"JMIR Infodemiology"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0346262.ref025","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"339","DOI":"10.1080\/10410236.2013.858285","article-title":"An examination of the relationships among uncertainty, appraisal, and information-seeking behavior proposed in uncertainty management theory","volume":"30","author":"SA Rains","year":"2015","journal-title":"Health Commun"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0346262.ref026","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"380","DOI":"10.1080\/07448481.2023.2224435","article-title":"How communicative environments affect college students' mental health help-seeking during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study","volume":"73","author":"QL Wu","year":"2025","journal-title":"J AM Coll Health"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0346262.ref027","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"531","DOI":"10.1037\/amp0000129","article-title":"Interpersonal mechanisms linking close relationships to health","volume":"72","author":"PR Pietromonaco","year":"2017","journal-title":"Am Psychol"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0346262.ref028","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"728","DOI":"10.1093\/jjco\/hyx064","article-title":"Perceived social support and its impact on depression and health-related quality of life: a comparison between cancer patients and general population","volume":"47","author":"H Yoo","year":"2017","journal-title":"Jpn J Clin Oncol"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0346262.ref029","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1284","DOI":"10.1097\/01.MLR.0000093487.78664.3C","article-title":"The Patient Health Questionnaire-2: validity of a two-item depression screener","volume":"41","author":"K Kroenke","year":"2003","journal-title":"Med Care"},{"issue":"22","key":"pone.0346262.ref030","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2290","DOI":"10.1001\/jama.2020.6504","article-title":"Accuracy of the PHQ-2 alone and in combination with the PHQ-9 for screening to detect major depression: systematic review and meta-analysis","volume":"323","author":"B Levis","year":"2020","journal-title":"JAMA"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0346262.ref031","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1007\/s13187-020-01820-3","article-title":"Fatalistic cancer beliefs across generations and geographic classifications: examining the role of health information seeking challenges and confidence","volume":"36","author":"SR Paige","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Cancer Educ"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0346262.ref032","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"461","DOI":"10.1177\/1090198115604616","article-title":"Cancer fatalism, literacy, and cancer information seeking in the American public","volume":"43","author":"LC Kobayashi","year":"2016","journal-title":"Health Educ Behav"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref033","volume-title":"Prevalence of depression among adults aged 20 and over: United States, 2013\u20132016","author":"DJ Brody","year":"2018"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0346262.ref034","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"98","DOI":"10.1093\/aje\/kwf182","article-title":"Socioeconomic inequalities in depression: a meta-analysis","volume":"157","author":"V Lorant","year":"2003","journal-title":"Am J Epidemiol"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0346262.ref035","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1542\/peds.2016-1878","article-title":"National trends in the prevalence and treatment of depression in adolescents and young adults","volume":"138","author":"R Mojtabai","year":"2016","journal-title":"Pediatrics"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0346262.ref036","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"430","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-019-6730-4","article-title":"Income and education predict elevated depressive symptoms in the general population: results from the Gutenberg health study","volume":"19","author":"J Schlax","year":"2019","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref037","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.5888\/pcd17.200257","article-title":"Prevalence and correlates of family cancer history knowledge and communication among US adults","volume":"17","author":"M Krakow","year":"2020","journal-title":"Prev Chronic Dis"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0346262.ref038","first-page":"1","article-title":"Mice: multivariate imputation by chained equations in R","volume":"45","author":"S van Buuren","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Stat Softw"},{"issue":"9","key":"pone.0346262.ref039","first-page":"1322","article-title":"Missing data in clinical research: a tutorial on multiple imputation","volume":"37","author":"PC Austin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Can J Cardiol"},{"issue":"4","key":"pone.0346262.ref040","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"377","DOI":"10.1002\/sim.4067","article-title":"Multiple imputation using chained equations: issues and guidance for practice","volume":"30","author":"IR White","year":"2011","journal-title":"Stat Med"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref041","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1002\/9780470316696","volume-title":"Multiple imputation for nonresponse in surveys","author":"DB Rubin","year":"1987"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref042","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"589914","DOI":"10.3389\/fpsyt.2020.589914","article-title":"Negative affect, fatalism, and perceived institutional betrayal in times of the coronavirus pandemic: a cross-cultural investigation of control beliefs","volume":"11","author":"R Bachem","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Psychiatry"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0346262.ref043","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1988452","DOI":"10.1080\/20008198.2021.1988452","article-title":"Fatalism and ICD-11 CPTSD and PTSD diagnoses: results from Nigeria, Kenya & Ghana","volume":"12","author":"Y Levin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Eur J Psychotraumatol"},{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0346262.ref044","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3211","DOI":"10.1007\/s10943-020-01024-5","article-title":"Fatalism and depressive symptoms: active and passive forms of fatalism differentially predict depression","volume":"59","author":"F Shahid","year":"2020","journal-title":"J Relig Health"},{"issue":"8","key":"pone.0346262.ref045","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"969","DOI":"10.1176\/appi.ajp.2008.08050721","article-title":"The evolution of the cognitive model of depression and its neurobiological correlates","volume":"165","author":"AT Beck","year":"2008","journal-title":"Am J Psychiatry"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0346262.ref046","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1275","DOI":"10.1080\/10810730.2015.1018641","article-title":"Information seeking in uncertainty management theory: exposure to information about medical uncertainty and information-processing orientation as predictors of uncertainty management success","volume":"20","author":"SA Rains","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Health Commun"},{"issue":"1","key":"pone.0346262.ref047","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"24","DOI":"10.1080\/10810730.2013.798384","article-title":"Adverse outcomes associated with media exposure to contradictory nutrition messages","volume":"19","author":"RH Nagler","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Health Commun"},{"issue":"2","key":"pone.0346262.ref048","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"310","DOI":"10.1037\/0033-2909.98.2.310","article-title":"Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis","volume":"98","author":"S Cohen","year":"1985","journal-title":"Psychol Bull"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref049","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"196","DOI":"10.1186\/1471-244X-11-196","article-title":"Seeking help for depression from family and friends: a qualitative analysis of perceived advantages and disadvantages","volume":"11","author":"KM Griffiths","year":"2011","journal-title":"BMC Psychiatry"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref050","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"40","DOI":"10.1186\/s12939-015-0169-8","article-title":"The role of social support and social networks in health information-seeking behavior among Korean Americans: a qualitative study","volume":"14","author":"W Kim","year":"2015","journal-title":"Int J Equity Health"},{"issue":"5","key":"pone.0346262.ref051","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"591","DOI":"10.1177\/109019810002700506","article-title":"A meta-analysis of fear appeals: implications for effective public health campaigns","volume":"27","author":"K Witte","year":"2000","journal-title":"Health Educ Behav"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0346262.ref052","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1007\/BF02879904","article-title":"Narrative communication in cancer prevention and control: a framework to guide research and application","volume":"33","author":"MW Kreuter","year":"2007","journal-title":"Ann Behav Med"},{"issue":"3","key":"pone.0346262.ref053","first-page":"134","article-title":"Health literacy and cancer communication","volume":"52","author":"TC Davis","year":"2002","journal-title":"CA Cancer J Clin"},{"issue":"11","key":"pone.0346262.ref054","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0259815","article-title":"The role of health literacy in cancer care: a mixed studies systematic review","volume":"16","author":"CE Holden","year":"2021","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"pone.0346262.ref055","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"108553","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pec.2024.108553","article-title":"Two sides of trust: How cancer survivors\u2019 communication with healthcare providers and on social media predicted healthy behaviors during COVID-19","volume":"131","author":"QL Wu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Patient Educ Couns"}],"container-title":["PLOS One"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0346262","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]],"date-time":"2026-04-02T17:25:14Z","timestamp":1775150714000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/dx.plos.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0346262"}},"subtitle":[],"editor":[{"given":"Stefano","family":"Occhipinti","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"editor"}]}],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]]},"references-count":55,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.0346262","relation":{},"ISSN":["1932-6203"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1932-6203","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,2]]}}}