Addressing trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder, and post-traumatic growth in breast cancer patients

Breast cancer (BC) is a common cancer among females in Africa. Being infected with BC in Africa seems like a life sentence and brings devastating experiences to patients and households. As a result, BC is comorbid with trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and post-traumatic growth (PTG).

To identify empirical evidence from peer-reviewed articles on the comorbidity trajectories between BC and trauma, BC and PTSD, and BC and PTG.

This review adhered to the PRISMA guidelines of conducting a systematic review. Literature searches of the National Library of Medicine, Scopus, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases were conducted using search terms developed for the study. The search hint yielded 769 results, which were screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. At the end of the screening, 24 articles were included in the systematic review.

BC patients suffered trauma and PTSD during the diagnosis and treatment stages. These traumatic events include painful experiences during and after diagnosis, psychological distress, depression, and cultural stigma against BC patients. PTSD occurrence among BC patients varies across African countries, as this review disclosed: 90% was reported in Kenya, 80% was reported in Zimbabwe, and 46% was reported in Nigeria. The severity of PTSD among BC patients in Africa was based on the test results communicated to the patients. Furthermore, this review revealed that BC patients experience PTG, which involves losing, regaining, and surrendering final control over the body, rebuilding a personified identity, and newfound appreciation for the body.

Patients with BC undergo numerous traumatic experiences during their diagnosis and treatment. Psychological interventions are needed in SSA to mitigate trauma and PTSD, as well as promote PTG.