Depressive symptoms and mental adjustment in women with breast cancer

Depression is the most common psychological disorder observed in breast cancer patients. The purposes of this study were: to determine the prevalence of depressive symptoms among women with breast cancer; and examine the association of depressive symptoms and demographic and clinical variables as well as the association between mental adjustment to cancer and level of depressive symptoms.

A total of 150 breast-cancer-diagnosed women were recruited in an Oncology Hospital. The Beck Depression Inventory and The Mini Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale were administered.

Most of the patients had clinically significant symptoms of depression (56.5%), and there were few women without clinically significant depressive symptoms (18.4%). Both educational level (p < .001) and marital status (p = .041) are associated with depression symptoms. More depression was associated with more helplessness/hopelessness and anxious preoccupation and less fighting spirit and cognitive avoidance.

Specific interventions for women with breast cancer should be carried out in order to enhance the mental health and resilience behaviors.