The Impact of Newly Diagnosed Early Breast Cancer on Psychological Resilience, Distress Levels, and the Perception of Health

Anuska Budisavljevic (), Natalija Dedic Plavetic, Kristina Klaric, Renata Kelemenic-Drazin and Marina Letica-Crepulja
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Anuska Budisavljevic: Department of Medical Oncology and Hematology, General Hospital Pula, 52100 Pula, Croatia
Natalija Dedic Plavetic: Department of Oncology, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Kristina Klaric: Department of Radiology, General Hospital Pula, 52100 Pula, Croatia
Renata Kelemenic-Drazin: Department of Hematology, Oncology and Clinical Immunology, General Hospital Varazdin, 42000 Varazdin, Croatia
Marina Letica-Crepulja: Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 6, 1-11

Abstract: Confronting a breast cancer diagnosis, along with complex and challenging treatment procedures, is an extremely stressful experience. Psychological resilience is the ability to maintain or restore normal functioning while facing adversity. We aimed to explore the impact of an early breast cancer diagnosis on psychological resilience, distress, and perception of health. A cross-sectional study was conducted, including 50 patients newly diagnosed with early breast cancer and 67 healthy women with screening mammograms graded 1 or 2 using a Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System. The levels of distress, perception of health, and psychological resilience were assessed using the depression, anxiety, and stress scale, the SF 36-Item Health Survey 1.0, and the Connor–Davidson RISC-25 scale. Differences between variables were examined using the t -test and chi-square test for interval and categorial variables. The surveys were conducted within four weeks of a breast cancer diagnosis. Patients with breast cancer reported a deterioration of their health relative to the previous year and significantly higher levels of psychological resilience, while there was no significant difference between the groups in levels of stress, anxiety, or depression. The process of diagnosis with early breast cancer may activate psychological dynamic processes which are involved in the effective adaptation to acute stress, leading to higher resilience levels in breast cancer patients compared to healthy controls.

Keywords: psychological resilience; breast cancer; psychological distress; stressors; quality of life; psychological well-being; mental health; psychological disorders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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