Fear of Cancer Recurrence and Its Association with Depressive Symptoms Among Adult Omani Female Breast Cancer Survivors.

PURPOSE

This study assessed the prevalence of depressive symptoms and fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) among Omani female breast cancer survivors. It also examined the predictive effect of FCR on the presence of depressive symptoms in this population.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted from June 2020 to December 2021 among adult Omani female breast cancer survivors recruited from the National Oncology Center at Royal Hospital and the oncology clinic at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in Muscat, Oman. Depressive symptoms and FCR were measured using validated Arabic versions of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and 30-item Concerns About Recurrence Scale. A PHQ-9 score of ≥5 was used to indicate the presence of depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

A total of 154 women participated, with a mean age of 41.7 ± 6.7 years. Overall, 53.2% reported depressive symptoms and the mean PHQ-9 score was 5.78 ± 4.41. Most reported low to moderate levels of fear in the overall fear (83.8%), health worries (60.4%), and role worries (57.1%) domains. Higher educational attainment was associated with increased scores across all FCR domains ( <0.05). An inverse association was observed between age and womanhood worries ( <0.05), while monthly family income was associated with overall fear, health worries, and death worries ( = 0.002, 0.018, and 0.041, respectively). Employment status was associated with overall fear ( = 0.010). Depressive symptoms were positively correlated with all FCR dimensions ( <0.05). However, only overall fear ( = 0.003) and womanhood worries ( = 0.018) remained significant predictors of depressive symptoms in the multiple logistic regression analysis.

CONCLUSION

Omani female breast cancer survivors exhibited varying degrees of FCR, with a notable association between FCR dimensions and the presence of depressive symptoms. Specific FCR domains, particularly overall fear and womanhood worries, independently predicted depressive symptoms.