The Medical Journal of Basrah University

Abstract

Background: Among cancer patients; the Prevalence of psychiatric disorders is approximately 50% and most of the disorders are related to the occurrence of cancer and cancer treatment.
Objectives: to estimate psychological problems and conditions in breast-cancer married patients, in al-Resafa side of Baghdad, and its relation with their demographic features and some habits.
Method & patients: A cross-sectional study was conducted from 1st June 2018 till 1st January 2019; data were collected from patients attending breast tumor center at Baghdad teaching hospital, radiotherapy & nuclear medicine hospital, and 10 breast-tumor-centers at 10 hospitals in Al-Resafa / Baghdad city.
Results: in this study 182 married women with breast cancer, higher percentage 56(30.8%) aged (50-60) year, housewife 153(84.1%), complete intermediate school 36(19.8%), diagnosed in second-stage 113(62.1%), non-smoker 124(68.1%) and always practicing exercise 121(66.5%). The psychological problems; sleep-disturbance 66(33.5%), stress 60(33%), loss-of-appetite 56(30.8), outrage-without-causes 27(14.8%), crying-without-causes 22(12.1%), loss-of-hope 15(8.2%), marital-problems 14(7.7%), loss-of-interest 13(7.1%), suicide-attempt 8(4.4%), and losing-interest-to-their-children 7(3.8%). But most of them had good overall psychological condition 149(81.9%).
Conclusion: 182 married women with breast cancer aged 49.42 ±11.213, complete/intermediate school, diagnosed in second-stage, non-smoker, and always practicing exercise. Psychological conditions were one-third of them have sleep disturbance, stress, loss-of-appetite, one-sixth of them had outrage-without-causes, and crying-without-causes, less than ten percent had a loss-of-hope, marital problems, loss-of-interest, suicide-attempt, and losing-interest-to their children. The overall psychological condition is good in the majority of them with statistically significant with smoking only