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Psychological and social adjustment to mastectomy. A two‐year follow‐up study
Author(s) -
Morris Tina,
Steven Greer H.,
White Patricia
Publication year - 1977
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(197711)40:5<2381::aid-cncr2820400555>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - medicine , neuroticism , mastectomy , eysenck personality questionnaire , rating scale , depression (economics) , breast cancer , personality , personality changes , hamilton rating scale for depression , cancer , psychiatry , disease , clinical psychology , extraversion and introversion , big five personality traits , psychology , mood , social psychology , developmental psychology , major depressive disorder , macroeconomics , economics
A consecutive series of 160 women admitted to hospital for breast tumor biopsy was assessed prior to, and at 3, 12, and 24 months following operation for marital, sexual, interpersonal and work adjustment, depression, and personality characteristics by means of rating scales based on structured interviews and standard tests. By 2 years there were no significant differences in social adjustment between mastectomy patients and benign breast disease controls; 70% of cancer patients were no longer stressed by mastectomy at 1 year. Factors predicting poor adjustment to mastectomy were high preoperative scores on the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression and the Neuroticism Scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory; deterioration in sexual adjustment was associated with biological or chronological perimenopausal status. Significantly more cancer than benign disease patients were dissatisfied with the information they received about operation and diagnosis. Implications of these findings for the care of the mastectomy patient are discussed.