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Depression, anxiety and quality of life among women living with breast cancer in Ghana: mediating roles of social support and religiosity

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Abstract

Purpose

Depression and anxiety are common mental health comorbidities found among women living with breast cancer. The presence of these mental health comorbidities results in decreased quality of life among patients. However, the indirect effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life have not been fully established. This study therefore examined the direct and indirect effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life through social support and religiosity.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional survey, 205 purposively selected participants were administered measures of depression and anxiety, social support, religiosity and quality of life. The statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) with PROCESS Macro was used for mediation analyses.

Results

Findings showed that there were significant direct negative effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life. Whereas depression had a significant negative indirect effect on quality of life through social support (b = − 0.247, 95% CI = − 0.482 to − 0.071), anxiety had a significant positive indirect effect on quality of life through social support (b = 0.142, 95%CI = 0.011 to 0.324). However, depression and anxiety did not have any significant indirect effect on quality of life through religiosity.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that there is the need to examine the mental health of women living with breast cancer as part of the routine healthcare, and social support ties should be strengthened to improve their quality of life.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana

    Nuworza Kugbey

  2. Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana

    Kwaku Oppong Asante

  3. Department of Psychology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa

    Kwaku Oppong Asante

  4. Discipline of Psychology, School of Applied Human Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa

    Anna Meyer-Weitz

Authors
  1. Nuworza Kugbey
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  2. Kwaku Oppong Asante
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  3. Anna Meyer-Weitz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nuworza Kugbey.

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Ethical approval for this study was obtained from the Humanities and Social Sciences Ethical Committee of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, and clearance was also obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Teaching Hospital in Ghana.

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The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Kugbey, N., Oppong Asante, K. & Meyer-Weitz, A. Depression, anxiety and quality of life among women living with breast cancer in Ghana: mediating roles of social support and religiosity. Support Care Cancer 28, 2581–2588 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-05027-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-019-05027-1

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