Abstract
BackgroundPatients with breast cancer often exhibit high levels of anxiety and depression and a considerable decrease in their ability to participate in leisure activities, which result in the long-term disruption of their daily lives. This study intended to explore the relationships among anxiety, leisure constraints, and depression and evaluate whether depression mediates the effects of anxiety on leisure constraints in patients with breast cancer.MethodThis prospective study included 106 patients with breast cancer. All the patients completed the Taiwanese version of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Leisure constraints questionnaire. Path analysis was used to test the mediating role of depression.ResultsLeisure constraints, anxiety, and depression were positively interrelated and co-occurred in the patients. The accelerated bootstrapping confidence intervals of the indirect effect did not include zero (0.276–1.663). Moreover, depression completely mediated the effects of anxiety on leisure constraints in patients with earlier cancer stages but not in patients with advanced cancer stages.ConclusionsDepression is a crucial mechanism underlying the relationship between anxiety and leisure constraints in patients with breast cancer. Although many patients experience minimal disruption of activities and roles during survivorship, they are unable to perform functional activities and satisfactorily play their roles. This is the first study to explore leisure constraints in patients with breast cancer and investigate the mediating role of depression that underlies the relationship between anxiety and leisure constraints. The current findings are clinically crucial because they suggest the need to consider the simultaneous management of anxiety and depression for alleviating leisure constraints.
Highlights
Patients with breast cancer often exhibit high levels of anxiety and depression and a considerable decrease in their ability to participate in leisure activities, which result in the long-term disruption of their daily lives
Depression is a crucial mechanism underlying the relationship between anxiety and leisure constraints in patients with breast cancer
Many patients experience minimal disruption of activities and roles during survivorship, they are unable to perform functional activities and satisfactorily play their roles. This is the first study to explore leisure constraints in patients with breast cancer and investigate the mediating role of depression that underlies the relationship between anxiety and leisure constraints
Summary
Patients with breast cancer often exhibit high levels of anxiety and depression and a considerable decrease in their ability to participate in leisure activities, which result in the long-term disruption of their daily lives. This study intended to explore the relationships among anxiety, leisure constraints, and depression and evaluate whether depression mediates the effects of anxiety on leisure constraints in patients with breast cancer. Breast cancer is a major health threat and cause of mortality in women worldwide [1]. Psychological distress is high in patients with cancer, and it adversely affects their quality of life as well as survival and recurrence rates. Huang et al BMC Women's Health (2019) 19:141 decreased prognosis in patients with breast cancer [11]. Information regarding leisure constraints in patients with breast cancer and the evidence of relationships among anxiety, depression, and leisure constraints are scant
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
