The Relationships Among Symptom Distress, Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, and Depression in Patients With Female-specific Cancers.

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) affect women with breast cancer. However, few studies have explored the relationships among PTSS, symptom distress, and depression in association with cancers specific to women in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among symptom distress, PTSS, and depression in women given a diagnosis of female-specific cancers. A cross-sectional design was used, and 220 women given a diagnosis of female-specific cancer were recruited from a general hospital in southern Taiwan. The outcome measures included the subjects' scores on a symptom distress scale, the Chinese Davidson Trauma Scale, and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depressive Scale; their personal characteristics; and disease-related variables. There were significant positive relationships among the frequency of PTSS, the severity of PTSS, symptom distress, and depressive symptoms. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that educational level, symptom distress, and the frequency of PTSS were significant predictors of depression. The study demonstrated a high prevalence of depression in women with female-specific cancer, and the results confirm the relationship between PTSS and depression. In addition, educational level and physical distress were also found to be predictors of depression. Screening for depressive symptoms should be a component of routine screening in women with female-specific cancer. Oncology nurses should be aware of the distress symptoms experienced by these women and recognize PTSS in patients who are given a diagnosis of female-specific cancer. Awareness will reduce the multiple risks of posttraumatic stress disorder and depression and decrease the depressive symptoms of women after surviving cancer.