Relationships between roles and mental states and role functional QOL in breast cancer outpatients

To evaluate the degrees of role accomplishment, the importance of and satisfaction with roles, and to assess their relationships with mental states and role functional quality of life, in breast cancer patients receiving treatment on an outpatient basis.

The study was designed as a cross-sectional study. Thirty patients with primary breast cancer were evaluated using the Self-Rating Frenchay Activities Index, the Role Checklist, the Profile of Mood States and the Medical Outcome Study Short-Form 36-Item Health Survey. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were used to analyze the relationships between each role-related item and each Profile of Mood States and Short-Form 36 subscale.

A higher number of roles played was positively associated with the score for Vigor but was negatively associated with the score for physical quality of life. A higher degree of the importance of roles was negatively correlated with the score for Confusion and positively correlated with the score for mental quality of life. A higher degree of satisfaction with roles was negatively correlated with depression, tension-anxiety, confusion and the total mood disturbances score, and was positively correlated with both the physical and negative quality of life scores. No significant correlations were apparent between the degrees of role accomplishment (Self-Rating Frenchay Activities Index scores) and the Profile of Mood States and Short-Form 36 scores.

The results indicated that qualitative and subjective factors (i.e. the degrees of importance of and satisfaction with roles) are associated more closely with emotional states and role functional quality of life in breast cancer outpatients than quantitative and objective factors (i.e. degree of role accomplishment and the number of roles).