Evaluation of religious coping strategies in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer in Morocco: baseline findings from a cohort study.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to assess positive and negative religious coping (PRC, NRC) in a sample of Moroccan women with breast cancer (BC) and examine the association with depression, anxiety, cancer clinical data and sociodemographic variables.

DESIGN

We conducted a cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The oncology departments of the public oncology hospital in the city of Fez, Morocco.

PARTICIPANTS

209 patients newly diagnosed with BC before receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy from 2019 to 2023.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Primary end-point variables included positive and negative religious coping, depression and anxiety. Secondary outcomes included demographic data and disease-related information.

RESULTS

The patients, with a mean age of 47.43±9.45 years, had high PRC scores (26.87±3.12). Based on multiple linear regression, PRC was negatively associated with delay in diagnosis (discovery of first symptoms after more than 12 months), β=-0.19 (95% CI=-1.97 to -0.27; p=0.01). For NRC, there was a significant association with progesterone receptor β=0.14 (95% CI=0.08 to 1.12; p=0.02) and a positive association with psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale total score) β=0.42 (95% CI=0.07 to 0.14; p≤0.001).

CONCLUSION

Women with BC may benefit from a holistic approach that integrates positive religious coping patterns. This approach should take into account the determinants identified in this study and identify any negative religious coping strategies that may have an adverse effect on patients' mental health.