| Learning Objective #1: Understand depression and quality-of-life issues in low-income, rural/urban women who have been diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Identify strategies useful in helping women to cope with a diagnosis of breast or cervical cancer |
Purpose: The goal of this study was to understand the emotional impact of diagnoses of breast or cervical cancer on low-income rural Southern women by exploring depression and cancer-related quality of life in women who have been diagnosed with one of these cancers. Method: This study was conducted in two phases. Phase I elicited information from 28 women regarding views on depression, the nature and extent of social support available to them, strategies used to promote health, and spirituality. In Phase II, results from Phase I, as well as established measures of depression (CES-D) and cancer-related quality of life (FACT-B) were used to develop a telephone survey instrument that measured the impact of cancer on the lives of an additional 60 women from the designated areas. Findings: Phase I results indicated that primary issues for these women include: fear and anxiety, financial issues, coping strategies, support systems, knowledge concerning the type of treatment received, emotional preparedness prior to surgery, management of side-effects during treatment, health promotion strategies, and the role of God or spirituality in their lives. There were no differences found between rural and urban women, race or ethnicity. Preliminary results from Phase II indicate that women diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer experience significant anxiety, need financial help, rely heavily on support systems that are already in place, are very knowledgeable about their diagnosis and treatment, have difficulty in the management of side-effects during treatment, use spirituality as a mechanism for coping with the illness, would utilize counseling services from a nurse after diagnosis, and generally do not meet criteria for clinical depression. No differences were found between rural and urban women, race or ethnicity. Implications: This study provides valuable information for practitioners to use in caring for breast or cervical cancer patients.
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