Botto R, De Leonardis B, Salussolia A, Di Nardo C, Ala A, Torta R, Stanizzo MR. Assessment of anxiety, depression, and distress in breast cancer patients: A comparison among different phases of illness.
Health Care Women Int 2022;
45:390-402. [PMID:
35695501 DOI:
10.1080/07399332.2022.2078325]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to assess the levels of anxious and depressive symptoms and distress in a sample of breast cancer patients in the different phases of the illness. We performed a cross-sectional study. We divided 301 female breast cancer patients into three groups, based on the phase of illness they were in being in post-surgery (N = 100), receiving adjuvant therapies (N = 86), and receiving follow-up care (N = 115). We included the follow-up within the phases of illness. We further divided each group into first diagnosed or with recurrence and we administered Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Distress Thermometer. First-diagnosed patients with clinically relevant anxiety increased from being post-surgery (35.8%), to receiving adjuvant therapies (53.7%), and to being in follow-up (61.5%). In patients with recurrence, distress was stable among the illness phases, but many patients had clinically relevant anxiety (55.65%) and depression (43.48%). First-diagnosed patients' emotional distress could be more linked to follow-up-related difficulties. During recurrence, high distress could be due to the failure of previous treatments. Distress screening can better orient psycho-social interventions and healthcare resources.
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