Returning to Work after Breast Cancer: A One-Year Mixed-Methods Study

Nicola Magnavita (), Igor Meraglia and Daniela Andreina Terribile
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Nicola Magnavita: Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
Igor Meraglia: Post-Graduate School of Occupational Health, Department of Life Sciences and Public Health, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 00168 Rome, Italy
Daniela Andreina Terribile: Multidisciplinary Breast Center, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute della Donna e del Bambino e di Sanità Pubblica, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 8, 1-20

Abstract: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common invasive neoplasm and affects many women of working age. The return to work (RTW) of female survivors (BCSs) is associated with a better quality of life and longer survival. A tailored intervention to promote RTW was launched in 2022. A year later, the women were contacted to find out if RTW had occurred regularly and what their health conditions were compared to the baseline. BCSs reported excessive fatigue, poor sleep quality, anxiety, depression and reduced work ability; these parameters had not improved significantly compared to the baseline. Thematic analysis of the interviews confirmed the presence of personal, company, and societal factors that could hinder or favor RTW. The interviews demonstrated that, even in an economically developed country that has provided numerous benefits for BCSs, protection is not always effective. Personalized intervention seems necessary to complete the process of reintegrating BCSs into their future working careers.

Keywords: disability management; longitudinal study; welfare; sleep; anxiety; depression; fatigue; work organization; barriers; facilitators; workplace (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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