Social support and depressive mood 1 year after diagnosis of breast cancer compared with the general female population: a prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Social support may influence the impact of stressful life events on breast cancer patients' psychological state. However, the precise status of depressive mood in breast cancer during the first year after diagnosis is not yet known.

METHODS

Perceived social support, health-related quality of life, and depressive mood were assessed at enrollment and 1 year after breast cancer diagnosis in 286 women newly diagnosed with stages I-III breast cancer. Breast cancer patients' social support and depressive mood at diagnosis and 1 year after diagnosis were compared with the general female population (GFP), and predictors of worsened depressive mood were identified.

RESULTS

All subscales of social support and depressive mood among breast cancer patients were significantly lower at one after diagnosis than at diagnosis (all p<0.001). At diagnosis, breast cancer patients reported better emotional (p=0.004), informational (p=0.006), and affectionate support (p=0.002), and poorer depressive mood (p<0.001) than the GFP. After 1 year, however, perceived social support in breast cancer patients was significantly decreased and depressive mood was significantly improved, becoming similar to scores of the GFP. Only tangible support was significantly lower than the GFP at 1 year after diagnosis (p=0.028). Hierarchical multiple logistic regression analysis for best fitting the model statistically and clinically indicated that decreased emotional support, transition to post-menopausal status, impaired role functioning, and financial difficulties predicted deteriorated depressive mood.

CONCLUSION

Breast cancer patients might have greater control over tangible support than any other type of social support. Together with the transition to post-menopausal status, decreased perceived emotional social support was the best predictor of depressive mood among breast cancer patients during the first year after diagnosis.