The Interaction of Mastalgia with Depression and Quality of Life in Turkish Women

Aim: The interaction of mastalgia with the severity of depression and quality of life is examined. Material and Method: This study was performed on 105 women screened for breast cancer having no organic pathology causing mastalgia. The severity of pain, depression, and quality of life were evaluated through Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36). Results: The mean VAS and BDI scores were 5 (1-10) and 17 (2-41), respectively. Of the patients, 49% (n=51) were referred to psychiatry polyclinics. Accordingly, 58% were depressive, 30% were anxious and 4% were depressive and anxious. The patients obtained the highest scores from physical and social functioning domains of SF-36. A moderate negative association was detected between age and physical function (PF) (r=-0.235, p=0.01), while there was a mild positive association between age and vitality energy (r=0.198, p=0.04). There was a mild negative association between BDI and PF (r=-0.146), while there were good positive associations between BDI and mental health and mental component summary scores (r=-0.563, r=-0.559). Moderate negative associations were detected between VAS and eight domains and 2 summary scores of SF-36. Discussion: Mastalgia negatively effected the life quality of women, psychological factors should be considered.