Stress and Depression of Women with Breast Cancer and Impact on Family

Abstract

Introduction: The impact of cancer in the mental realm is an issue of huge interest, which has been studied for decades by
health care scientists and psychologists. The review of medical literature reveals that approximately one in two patients with
cancer manifest psychiatric disorders due to the illness. In the case of breast cancer, patients often experience anxiety and
depression problems involving also their families, either as a side effect of therapeutic approaches that are followed, or as
an effect of the disease itself. So, an in-depth analysis and understanding of these problems is extremely important, aiming
to tackle them. Aim: The purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of breast cancer in the psychological world of the
patient and her family, regarding the generation of feelings of anxiety and depression. Method: A comprehensive search
in the bibliographic databases “Medline” and “ScienceDirect” has been conducted, along with a search over HEAL-Link. The
keywords used included “breast cancer”, “family” and “psychological implications”. The search referred to articles from 1995 to
2012, whereas purely medical articles on breast cancer were excluded. Results: The paper identified extensive international
research on the subject of stress and depression that breast cancer incurs to patients. The psychological morbidity causes
are summarized in the cancer itself, as well as in the therapeutic approaches followed by the patient. Its implications lie in
the patient and the quality of her mental life, in her family, in the social environment and in the disease itself, exacerbating its
effects. Conclusions: There are consequences to both the quality of life of the patient and the disease itself. For this reason, a
careful behavior towards the patient is needed, as well as patience on behalf of the patient herself. In addition,