Databases in the internet with regard to the health sciences includes millions citations and the researchers have the chance to search and find the appropriate evidence or, in other words, information about research questions. PubMed is among the hugest d

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, there are several internationally proposed ways of therapeutic approach to depression and anxiety that causes the disease.

Category: Volume 52, N 1
Hits: 388 Hits
Created Date: 15-03-2013
Authors: Aggelopoulou Zoi , Karagouni Georgia , Kotsakou Eleni