Depression and anxiety levels in woman under follow-up for breast cancer: relationship to coping with cancer and quality of life

Abstract

The relation of anxiety and depression levels with characteristics of coping with the disease and quality of life were evaluated in women under follow-up for breast cancer. Patients who had presented to the breast cancer polyclinics for follow-up were evaluated. The Beck Depression and the State-Trait Anxiety inventories were used in the evaluation of depression and anxiety levels. In order to evaluate their power to cope with cancer, the patients were questioned for a social support network. EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 questionnaires were applied for quality of life evaluations. There were 23 (19%) patients with depression; 3 (2.5%) with grade I anxiety, 94 (77%) grade II, and 23 (19%) grade III anxiety, respectively. Depression and anxiety levels were affected by the following parameters: being unaccompanied by spouse for hospital follow-ups (P < 0.0001); request to get help by a psychologist (P = 0.02); presence of a person to share their problems (P < 0.0001); and using an alternative treatment (P = 0.04). In the quality of life evaluations, difficulty in sleeping, emotional status, fatigue, and body appearance were related with both depression and anxiety (P < 0.05 for all), whereas physical function (P = 0.002), role performance (P = 0.005), cognitive condition (P < 0.0001), social position (P < 0.0001), pain (P < 0.0001), general health (P < 0.0001), treatment methods (P = 0.001), future anxiety (P < 0.0001), and arm symptoms (P = 0.001) were negatively affected in patients with depression. High depression and anxiety levels in patients under follow-up for breast cancer influence the coping with cancer and quality of life adversely.