Advertisement
A woman’s marital status, income level and age can affect the likelihood of depression after breast cancer, a University of Missouri researcher has found.
And that depression can cause a snag in treatment because patients who suffer from it are less likely to adhere to medication regimens.
Ann Bettencourt, a professor of psychological sciences at MU, studied who is most likely to experience distress after a diagnosis and through the course of treatment. She found evidence that single women and those with children in the home were more likely to be depressed during the year after treatment.
“Many women receive strong support following their initial diagnoses of and treatment for cancer, but then the social support can wane,” Bettencourt said in a statement. “Our findings suggest that both single women and mothers with children in the home may need additional support across the entire year following breast cancer diagnosis and treatment.”
The study also flagged income and age as predictors of depression. Women with different income levels have similar levels of elevated depression during treatment, but wealthier women are more likely to see those symptoms decrease in the year after.
And young breast cancer survivors experience more depression during treatment than older women, but it levels out after treatment is complete.
Identifying risk factors is an important part of a woman’s prognosis, Bettencourt said. In a separate study, she linked depression with one’s adherence to medicine regimens and found breast cancer patients with depression are less apt to stick to treatment.
“Depression can interfere with patients’ willingness to adhere to medication regimens,” Bettencourt said. “Deviating from the prescribed course of treatment may complicate patient outcomes and threaten prognosis.”
Both studies were published in the journal Psychology and Health.
Reach Janese Silvey at 573-815-1705 or e-mail jsilvey@columbiatribune.com.
Copyright 2011 Columbia Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
