Correlation of anxiety and depression levels with attitudes towards coping with illness and sociodemographic characteristics in patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer

Correlation of anxiety and depression levels with attitudes towards coping with illness and sociodemographic characteristics in patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer Objective: 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. Method: 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. Results: 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). Conclusion: 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.