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Factors related to patient's mental adjustment to breast cancer: patient characteristics and family functioning

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Abstract

Previous studies have suggested that patients who adopted a coping response characterized as helplessness or hopelessness reported higher levels of psychological distress than patients who adopted a response characterized as fighting spirit. There are also studies suggesting a relationship between family functioning and psychological well-being of cancer patients and their family members. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between breast cancer patients' coping response to the diagnosis of cancer and family functioning. A total of 46 postoperative ambulatory female breast cancer patients and their husbands participated in this study. Patients and husbands completed the Family Assessment Device (FAD), and patients also completed the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale. They filled in these self-report questionnaires at home. The results of multiple regression analysis showed that patients' perception of poor family functioning in the area of Communication measured by the FAD correlated with high Helplessness/Hopelessness score of the MAC, whereas high education in the patients was correlated with low Fighting Spirit score on the MAC. The results suggested a link between a patient's attitude of helplessness or hopelessness in the face of cancer and inappropriate communication among family members. Consequently, health care professionals should devote attention not only to the patient but also to other family members and intervene to promote appropriate communication patterns among the family members.

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Acknowledgements.

The authors are grateful to all the patients and their husbands for so willingly giving of their time. The authors would also like to acknowledge the collaborative support from the surgeons, especially Tsuyoshi Kataoka M.D., Ph.D., and from the nursing staff of the Mammary Gland Dispensary in Hiroshima University Hospital. We also thank Minako Daino, R.N. for her dedicated assistance with the research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Division of Frontier Medical Science, Programs for Biomedical Research, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima , 734-8551, Japan

    Shinichi Inoue, Toshinari Saeki, Tomoyuki Mantani & Shigeto Yamawaki

  2. Institute of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Hiroshima University, 1-2-3 Kasumi, Minami-ku, Hiroshima, 734-8551, Japan

    Hitoshi Okamura

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  1. Shinichi Inoue
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  2. Toshinari Saeki
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  3. Tomoyuki Mantani
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  4. Hitoshi Okamura
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  5. Shigeto Yamawaki
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Correspondence to Shigeto Yamawaki.

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Inoue, S., Saeki, T., Mantani, T. et al. Factors related to patient's mental adjustment to breast cancer: patient characteristics and family functioning. Support Care Cancer 11, 178–184 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-002-0417-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-002-0417-5

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