SUBCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS IN LONG-TERM SURVIVORS OF BREAST-CANCER - A PRELIMINARY COMMUNICATION

Research on the psychosocial adjustment of cancer patients in remissio n remains limited. Only recently has the potential for significant lon g-term psychological morbidity in survivors been recognized. This stud y reports the preliminary results of an ongoing study designed to eval uate the emotional status of long-term survivors of breast cancer comp ared with women who underwent low-risk breast cancer screening. The pa tients had no history of a psychiatric diagnosis. The Beck Depression Inventory and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory were administered. Alt hough the mean level of endorsement of depressive symptoms was within normal limits, it was significantly higher than in the breast screenin g group. The incidence of mild anxiety was also higher in the breast c ancer group. The preliminary results showed that mild emotional distre ss persisted in disease-free women five years and longer after the dia gnosis of breast cancer. Further study is needed to assess the degree to which other psychosocial factors may contribute to this increased e motional distress in breast cancer survivors.