Comparison of anxiety, depression, and quality of life of husbands of women with and without breast cancer

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the anxiety, depression, and quality of life of husbands of women with breast cancer referred to the chemotherapy clinic with husbands of non-affected wives. This was a case-control study, with purposive-convenience sampling method. 190 husbands of patients with or without breast cancer participate in this study. Data collection tools included a four-part questionnaire, consisted of demographic characteristics, shortened form of quality of life questionnaire, Beck depression inventory, and Beck anxiety inventory. In the areas of social relations and living environment (QolD3, QolD4), a statistically significant difference was found between the two groups in quality of life (p-value < 0.001). Pearson correlation coefficient showed a statistically significant difference in the case group between the history of chemotherapy and mean anxiety score (p-value < 0.001), and quality of life with number of children (p-value < 0.002). The findings of this study showed that in addition to giving attention to the patients, attention to health needs and quality of life of their spouses is also a priority.

Keywords

• Anxiety
• Breast cancer
• Depression
• Quality of life

References

1. 1. Siegel R, Miller K, Jemal A. Cancer statistics, 2015. Cancer J Clin. 2015;65(1):5.
2. 2. Askarian F, Mirzaei M, Askarian S, Jazayeri M. Epidemiologic study of breast cancer and age distribution of patients in a ten-year interval. Iran Breast Cancer Quart. 2016;9(1):31-6.
3. 3. Mohaghegh P, Yavari P, Akbari ME, Abadi A, Ahmadi F, Shormeij Z. Relationships between family levels of socioeconomic status and distribution of breast cancer risk factors. Iran J Cancer Prevent. 2015;8(1):53.
4. 4. Salarvand S, Hemati S, Adibi P, Taleghani F. Priorities in Supportive Care Needs for Non-metastatic Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy in Iran: The Oncologists’ Perceptions. Mid East J Cancer. 2017;8(4):195-205.
5. 5. Li Q, Loke AY. A literature review on the mutual impact of the spousal caregiver–cancer patients dyads:‘communication’,‘reciprocal influence’, and ‘caregiver–patient congruence’. Europ J Oncol Nurs. 2014;18(1):58-65.
6. 6. Chung C, Hwang E. Couples’ experiences of breast cancer in Korea: a descriptive qualitative study. Cancer Nurs. 2012;35(3):211-20. 7. Litzelman K, Green PA, Yabroff KR. Cancer and quality of life in spousal dyads: spillover in couples with and without cancer-related health problems. Support Care Cancer. 2016;24(2):763-71.
7. 8. Zahlis EH, Lewis FM. Coming to grips with breast cancer: the spouse's experience with his wife's first six months. J Psychosoci Oncol. 2010;28(1):79-97.
8. 9. Duggleby W, Bally J, Cooper D, Doell H, Thomas R, editors. Engaging hope: the experiences of male spouses of women with breast cancer. Oncology Nursing Forum; 2012.

9. 10. Hayes J, Zimmerman MK, Boylstein C. Responding to symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease: Husbands, wives, and the gendered dynamics of recognition and disclosure. Qualitat Health Res. 2010;20(8):1101-15.
10. 11. Dadfar M, Kalibatseva Z. Psychometric properties of the persian version of the short beck depression inventory with Iranian psychiatric outpatients. Scientifica. 2016;2016:8196463.
11. 12. Toosi F, Rahimi C, Sajjadi S. Psychometric properties of beck depression inventory-II for high school children in Shiraz City, Iran. Int J School Health. 2017;4(3):1-6.
12. 13. Götze H, Brähler E, Gansera L, Polze N, Köhler N. Psychological distress and quality of life of palliative cancer patients and their caring relatives during home care. Support Care Cancer. 2014;22(10):2775-82.
13. 14. Judkins J, Laska I, Paice J, Kumthekar P. Quality of life of family caregivers of patients with cancer in Korçe, Albania. J Palliat Care. 2019;34(2):118-25.
14. 15. Kim Y, Van Ryn M, Jensen RE, Griffin JM, Potosky A, Rowland J. Effects of gender and depressive symptoms on quality of life among colorectal and lung cancer patients and their family caregivers. Psycho Oncol. 2015;24(1):95-105.
15. 16. Grant M, Sun V, Fujinami R, Sidhu R, Otis-Green S, Juarez G, et al., editors. Family caregiver burden, skills preparedness, and quality of life in non-small-cell lung cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum; 2013: NIH Public Access.
16. 17. Mosher CE, Bakas T, Champion VL. Physical health, mental health, and life changes among family caregivers of patients with lung cancer. Oncol Nurs Forum. 2013;40(1):53-61.