Exploring Psychosocial Correlates of Breast Reconstruction PostMastectomy in a Sample of Spanish Women
- 1. School of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
- 2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital Universitario La Paz, Spain
- 3. Platform Support Novel Research, Research Institute Hospital Universitario La Paz, Spain
Abstract
Background: It is generally accepted that breast reconstruction (BR) provides psychological benefits for women who had undergone mastectomy for breast cancer by restoring bodily changes caused by surgery. Spanish research on these issues is still scant, and the published studies reveal conflicting results. This study aims to explore the psychosocial correlates of BR in a sample of Spanish women who have undergone mastectomy.
Method: Body Image Scale, Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-I, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire were administered to 50 women who have undergone mastectomy, that were distributed into three groups: those who had undergone reconstruction, those who planned to do so in the short-term, or those who had decided against reconstruction.
Results: Women who opted for no reconstruction tended to be older (p<.001) and less concerned about body image changes (p=.037) than those who had had reconstruction or those who planned to do so.
Conclusions: This study shows that women who have undergone BR have greater concerns about body image than women who chose mastectomy without reconstruction. Patients who have undergone BR have similar outcomes with respect to anxiety, depression, and quality of life, than those obtained by women without reconstruction. Finally, women who are awaiting BR may be at risk of suffering psychological distress.