Nuworza Kugbey1, Kwaku Oppong Asante2,3, Anna Meyer-Weitz4. 1. Department of Family and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Volta Region, Ghana. nkugbey@gmail.com. 2. Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana. 3. Department of Psychology, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa. 4. Discipline of Psychology, School of Applied Human Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Depression and anxiety are common mental health comorbidities found among women living with breast cancer. The presence of these mental health comorbidities results in decreased quality of life among patients. However, the indirect effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life have not been fully established. This study therefore examined the direct and indirect effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life through social support and religiosity. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional survey, 205 purposively selected participants were administered measures of depression and anxiety, social support, religiosity and quality of life. The statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) with PROCESS Macro was used for mediation analyses. RESULTS: Findings showed that there were significant direct negative effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life. Whereas depression had a significant negative indirect effect on quality of life through social support (b = - 0.247, 95% CI = - 0.482 to - 0.071), anxiety had a significant positive indirect effect on quality of life through social support (b = 0.142, 95%CI = 0.011 to 0.324). However, depression and anxiety did not have any significant indirect effect on quality of life through religiosity. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that there is the need to examine the mental health of women living with breast cancer as part of the routine healthcare, and social support ties should be strengthened to improve their quality of life.
PURPOSE:Depression and anxiety are common mental health comorbidities found among women living with breast cancer. The presence of these mental health comorbidities results in decreased quality of life among patients. However, the indirect effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life have not been fully established. This study therefore examined the direct and indirect effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life through social support and religiosity. METHODS: Using a cross-sectional survey, 205 purposively selected participants were administered measures of depression and anxiety, social support, religiosity and quality of life. The statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) with PROCESS Macro was used for mediation analyses. RESULTS: Findings showed that there were significant direct negative effects of depression and anxiety on quality of life. Whereas depression had a significant negative indirect effect on quality of life through social support (b = - 0.247, 95% CI = - 0.482 to - 0.071), anxiety had a significant positive indirect effect on quality of life through social support (b = 0.142, 95%CI = 0.011 to 0.324). However, depression and anxiety did not have any significant indirect effect on quality of life through religiosity. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that there is the need to examine the mental health of women living with breast cancer as part of the routine healthcare, and social support ties should be strengthened to improve their quality of life.
Entities:
Keywords:
Anxiety; Breast cancer; Depression; Ghana; Quality of life; Religiosity; Social support