Sexual function, depression, and quality of life in patients with cervical cancer

The purpose of this study was to examine the level of sexual function, depression, and quality of life in cervical cancer patients.

This descriptive, correlational, cross-sectional study was conducted at E Hospital, Seoul. A total of 137 women diagnosed with cervical cancer completed a structured questionnaire. Sexual function was measured with the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), depression with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), and quality of life with the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General version 4 (FACT-G). Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Scheffé's tests, and Pearson correlations were computed with SPSS Win 21.0.

The participants experienced sexual dysfunction (4.83 ± 4.16) and moderate to severe depression (11.08 ± 5.06). The mean score of quality of life was 57.33 ± 8.47. Sexual function had a negative relationship with depression, while having a positive one with quality of life (p < .001). Also, in relation with subcategories of quality of life, sexual function was positively correlated with physical well-being, social well-being, and functional well-being (p = .001), but not with psychological well-being (p = .223).

This study showed that cervical cancer patients with lower sexual function tended to have lower quality of life and higher levels of depression. Thus, clinical nurses should develop and implement interventions to enhance sexual function for patients diagnosed with cervical cancer.