Patients with oral cancer experience profoundly detrimental effects on their mental health as a result of shame and stigma. Negative psychological health, such as anxiety, demoralization, and depressive symptoms, is closely linked to stigma. High stigma has a detrimental effect on self-esteem, treatment compliance, follow-up care, and social adaption. More than one-third of the variation in quality of life (QoL) may be explained by stigma alone, and stigma has a strong negative correlation with QoL.

Significant obstacles are usually faced by patients with oral cancer, such as difficulty breathing, eating, speaking, and facial deformities, all of which can greatly increase patient stigma. An important factor in these patients' self-evaluation processes is their internalized shame. Excessive levels of stigma are detrimental to patients' rehabilitation and significantly lower their quality of life (QoL). They also have an adverse effect on follow-up treatments, including treatment compliance, treatment-seeking behaviors, self-esteem, and social adaptability. Future studies ought to concentrate on positive psychological elements that could be significant when stigma affects oral cancer. In order to counteract stigma, healthcare institutions should acknowledge the significance of psychological strengths for patients with oral cancer. Future research should focus more on targeted intervention measures.