The impact of social constraints and resilience on depression in Icelandic women newly diagnosed with breast cancer

Abstract

Studies have revealed that if women diagnosed with breast cancer can express their emotions and concerns about the illness to the people close to them, they are less likely to experience distress. Resilience is also a known buffer for distress in women with breast cancer. Thirty-eight women newly diagnosed with breast cancer participated in the present study, before receiving any cancer treatment. The study's main aim was to evaluate the effects on depression if the women felt they could not express themselves about cancer and if resilience could buffer the negative impact. Participants answered three questionnaires: Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and Social Constraints Scale (SCS), along with demographic questions. Although the results demonstrated that the mean score on CES-D was above the clinical cut-off score for depression among these women, depression was not associated with limitations in expressing emotions and concern about the illness. A negative correlation was between SCS and CD-RISC, indicating that women who felt unable to express their feelings and distress regarding their condition were less resilient. Results revealed a positive correlation between CES-D and marital status, indicating that women who lived with a partner were less depressed. Small sample size, recruiting in time of pandemic and the fact that the women were newly diagnosed with breast cancer may affect the results not being more conclusive. Keywords: Breast cancer, emotional constraints, depression, resilience

Rannsóknir hafa sýnt að andleg líðan kvenna með brjóstakrabbamein er betri ef þær geta tjáð sig um áhyggjur sínar tengdar krabbameininu við nákomna. Ennfremur að þrautseigja geti verið verndandi þáttur og dregið úr andlegri vanlíðan sem konur með brjóstakrabbamein upplifa gjarnan. Þátttakendur rannsóknarinnar voru 38 konur nýgreindar með brjóstakrabbamein. Markmið rannsóknarinnar var að meta hvort fylgni væri á milli þess að geta ekki tjáð tilfinningar sínar varðandi brjóstakrabbameinið og depurðar meðal kvennanna, sem og að meta hvort þrautseigja kvennanna gæti unnið á móti þessum áhrifum. Konurnar svöruðu þremur spurningalistum; Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) og Social Constraints Scale (SCS), auk nokkurra bakgrunnsspurninga. Niðurstöður sýndu að meðalskor kvennanna á CES-D var yfir viðmiðum klínísks þunglyndis þó var ekki marktæk fylgni á milli þess að geta ekki tjáð sig um krabbameinið og depurðar. Neikvæð fylgni var á milli SCS og CD-RISC, sem bendir til þess að þær konur sem upplifðu sig ekki geta tjáð sig um tilfinningar sínar, bjuggu yfir minni þrautseigju. Jákvæð fylgni var á milli CES-D og hjúskaparstöðu sem benti til þess að konur sem bjuggu með maka voru síður þunglyndar. Lítið úrtak, rannsókn framkvæmd á tímum heimsfaraldurs og það að konurnar voru nýgreindar, gæti skýrt afhverju niðurstöður voru ekki meira afgerandi. Lykilorð: Brjóstakrabbamein, félagslegar hömlur, þunglyndi, þrautseigja