New research shows that certain factors, including marital status, having children in the home, income level and age, affect the likelihood of depression in breast cancer survivors.
Ann Bettencourt, professor of psychological sciences, found evidence that single women and women with children in the home were more likely to be depressed during the year following treatment.
“Many women receive strong support following their initial diagnoses of and treatment for cancer, but then the social support can wane,” Bettencourt said.
The research also links depression levels with income and age. Women with different incomes tend to have similarly elevated levels of depression during treatment, but symptoms decrease among women with higher incomes in the year following treatment. Younger breast cancer survivors experience more depression during treatment than older patients, but report levels similar to those of older women after treatment is complete.
In a separate study, Bettencourt linked higher rates of depression with less favorable attitudes toward and perceptions of treatment regimens. “Depression can interfere with patients’ willingness to adhere to medication regimens,” Bettencourt said. “Deviating from the prescribed course of treatment may complicate patient outcomes and threaten prognosis.”