Abstract

ORNELAS-MEJORADA, Rosa Elena; TUFINO TUFINO, Mónica Anahí  and  SANCHEZ-SOSA, Juan José. Anxiety and Depression in Women with Breast Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy: Prevalence and Associated Factors. Acta de investigación psicol [online]. 2011, vol.1, n.3, pp.401-414. ISSN 2007-4719.

Enduring the symptoms of breast cancer and the effects of radiation therapy frequently lead to depressive and anxious symptoms in patients. The purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence of anxious and depressive symptomatology in these patients and to explore the effects of clinical and socio-demographic variables on psychological distress. A total of 203 women with breast cancer, in stages 0 - III from a large public medical center in Mexico City participated. Anxious and depressive symptomatology was assessed through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and Socio-demographic data were obtained through a structured interview. Prevalence of anxious and depressive symptomatologies were 27% and 28% respectively. One-way ANOVA on socio-demographic variables with symptomatology revealed that schooling F (6.203) = 2.39, p = .009 and occupation F (3.203) = 1.32, p = .009 were significant for depressive symptomatology. Living with specific persons was significant F (6.203) = 2.69, p = .016 for anxious symptomatology. The clinical variables "radiotherapy week" and specific features of the diagnostic, as well as marital status and age groups showed small differences related to either anxious or depressive symptomatology. More radiation side effects were reported by women with (M = 3.73) than those without (M = 2.84) depressive symptoms. The most frequent side effects were dry mouth, skin irritation and pain in the radiated area. The high levels of distress and the extreme physical discomfort produced by radiotherapy make the present findings useful for developing interventions aimed at helping breast cancer patients under radiation therapy.

Keywords : Anxiety; Depression; Breast-cancer; Radiation-therapy; Mexico.

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