Quality of life, anxiety and depression in women with breast cancer

Abstract

Cilj ovoga rada bio je ispitati odnos sociodemografskih karakteristika, karakteristika bolesti, anksioznosti, depresivnosti, percipirane socijalne podrške i domena kvalitete života s općom kvalitetom života žena oboljelih od karcinoma dojke. Istraživanje je provedeno na 120 sudionica u dobi od 31 do 78 godina s područja Republike Hrvatske. Za ispitivanje subjektivne kvalitete života korišten je Upitnik WHOQOL-BREF (World Health Organization, 1998), učestalost i izraženost negativnih emocionalnih stanja depresivnosti i anksioznosti mjerene su Skalom depresivnosti, anksioznosti i stresa (The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale; Lovibond i Lovibond, 1995), percipirana socijalna podrška mjerena je Multidimenzionalnom skalom percipirane socijalne podrške (MSPSSA, Zimet i sur., 1988), a korišten je i Upitnik sociodemografskih i zdravstvenih varijabli. Istraživanje je provedeno online i metodom papirolovka. Prikazana je deskriptivna statistika te su provedene korelacijska i hijerarhijska regresijska analiza. Rezultati pokazuju kako žene oboljele od karcinoma dojke imaju statistički značajno nižu opću kvalitetu života od pretpostavljenog normativnog raspona. Pronađene su značajne korelacije između ekonomskog statusa, radnog statusa, anksioznosti, depresivnosti, ukupne socijalne podrške, domena upitnika WHOQOL-BREF i opće kvalitete života. Regresijskom analizom utvrđeno je kako ekonomski status i mentalno zdravlje značajno predviđaju opću kvalitetu života. Konačno, u radu se raspravlja o mogućim objašnjenjima dobivenih rezultata.The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and characteristics of the disease, anxiety, depression, perceived social support, domains of quality of life and general quality of life in women with breast cancer. Research was conducted on 120 participants aged from 31 to 78 years from the Republic of Croatia. Subjective quality of life was measured by World Health Organization Quality of Life‐Brief Version questionnaire (World Health Organization, 1998), frequency and expression negative emotional states of anxiety and depression were assessed by The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (Lovibond i Lovibond, 1995), perceived social support was measured by Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Assessment (Zimet et al., 1988) and sociodemographic and health related variables questionnaire was used. Research was carried out online and by paper-and-pencil method. Descriptive statistics was presented, together with correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. Results indicate that women with breast cancer have a statistically significantly lower quality of life than the theoretically presumed normative range. Significant correlations were found between economic status, working status, perceived social support, quality of life domains and general quality of life. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed that economic status and mental health represent significant predictors of quality of life. The possible clarifications of the results were discussed