Psychosocial Determinants Among Hospital and Primary Healthcare Professionals Towards Cancer and Cancer Patients in Croatia

Background/Objectives: Cancer places emotional and psychosocial demands on healthcare professionals; therefore, this study aimed to examine sociodemographic and psychosocial determinants, including emotional competence, empathy, and stigma, and to assess their interrelationships with mental health, attitudes towards cancer, and cancer-related stigma among healthcare professionals involved in cancer care. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2025 to January 2026 via a self-administered questionnaire among 264 hospital and primary care healthcare professionals in Osijek, Croatia (69 men and 195 women; median age 37 years, IQR 31–47, age range 20–64 years), all directly involved in providing healthcare to cancer patients in Croatia. Results: Significant differences were observed by gender, age, occupation, and workplace. Men were more frequently physicians and had higher education levels and socioeconomic status, whereas women achieved higher scores in emotional competence and empathy. Physicians more often had shorter overall work experience and reported greater perceived controllability of cancer. Age-related differences were found in perceived discrimination, stigma, and controllability of cancer. Primary healthcare professionals showed a higher level of empathy and proactivity and a lower perception of cancer as an incurable disease. Higher empathy was associated with lower stigma, while negative emotions and greater proactivity were associated with higher stigma, and emotional competence was a strong predictor of empathy. Conclusions: The study identified notable sociodemographic and psychosocial differences among healthcare professionals. Emotional competence strongly predicted empathy, which was inversely associated with cancer-related stigma, suggesting potential targets for interventions to improve attitudes towards cancer care. Furthermore, women exhibited significantly higher emotional competence and empathy than men, highlighting the importance of incorporating gender-specific perspectives into developing educational and support strategies for cancer healthcare professionals.