The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of anxiety and depression
levels of breast cancer patients that had completed a year since receiving the diagnosis
with their sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes towards coping with their
disease. This study was conducted with 94 female patients between the ages of 35 and
65 years who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and who were treated at the
Oncology Department of Cukurova University’s Faculty of Medicine between June 5 and
July 31, 2017. Data were collected via a personal information form prepared by the
investigator, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and COPE
inventory.
It was found that 27.7% and 16.0% of patients with breast cancer who had completed
one year of treatment and had not presented or been referred to psychiatry experienced
clinically relevant anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms, respectively. A positive
relationship was found between depression and anxiety in breast cancer patients
(p<0.05, r=0.68). The level of anxiety was higher in patients who were not sufficiently
informed about the disease (p=0.014) and who thought that the partner was behaving
more distant (p=0.019). Patients between the ages of 35 and 44 years were found to be
more depressive and anxious than those at age 55-65 (p=0.006 and p=0.010,
respectively). It was found that primary school graduates were more likely to use “religious coping” (p=0.02) and university graduates were more likely
to use “humor” (p=0.04). In addition, “positive reinterpretation” and “planning” attitudes
were found to be more common in those with sufficient knowledge of the disease
(p=0.045 and p=0.01, respectively). There was a negative correlation
between depression and “mental disengagement” (p=0.011) and “active coping”
(p=0.008). There was a positive relationship between anxiety and “use of emotional
social support” (p=0.038). In our study, sufficient information about the disease and the
partner’s behavior were found to be associated with anxiety in breast cancer patients,
and coping attitudes were found to be effective regarding depression and
development of anxiety. Addressing the psychological effects of breast cancer and
giving importance to psychosocial interventions and coping attitudes have been
considered preventive factors in the development of depression and
anxiety.