BackgroundDemoralization is a common psychological distress in Chinese cancer patients, affecting treatment adherence and quality of life. NCCN Guidelines recommend routine monitoring of distress. The original 24-item Mandarin Demoralization Scale (DS-MV) is comprehensive but less suited for rapid, repeated screening in busy oncology clinics. We therefore refined and validated a short-form Mandarin Demoralization Scale (s-DS-MV) for efficient demoralization assessment.MethodsThis psychometric va