Quality of life, behavioral problems, and marital adjustment in the first year after radical prostatectomy

Patients submitted for prostatectomy were evaluated regarding their quality of life, behavioral problems, and marital adjustment. Thirty-two patients aged 54-76 years old were included. The results indicated that prostatectomy does not prevent normal psychological functioning, although there is a relationship between smoking and lower quality of life in these patients.

Different types of monotherapy for prostate cancer leads to impairment in urinary and sexual functions, but prostatectomy seems to have worse results in physical functioning when compared with other treatments. Nevertheless, patients report high quality of life (QOL) levels, even when there are comments about the impact of sexual dysfunction on psychological health. The objectives of this work were to analyze levels of QOL, marital adjustment (MA), and behavioral problems (BP) of patients submitted to prostatectomy.

Thirty-two patients from 54 to 76 years of age who underwent radical prostatectomy were evaluated during their follow-up appointments with the medical staff at the urology department of a private medical school. QOL scores were obtained from the World Health Organization Quality of Life instrument, short version. BP scores of patients younger than 60 years of age were assessed through the Adult Self-Report, whereas patients older than 60 years were assessed through the Older Adult Self-Report. MA scores were obtained by using the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test.

The patients reported relatively high levels of QOL and MA, along with low BPs. Marital support was associated with higher levels of QOL. BPs were associated with lower physical and total QOL scores. Smoking habits were associated with lower levels of MA, psychological health, and QOL. Erectile dysfunction was related to lower MA levels and lower QOL scores.

Overall, the patients had high self-reported QOL levels, which indicated that physical impairments related to surgery did not prevent patients to return to normal functioning.