ORIGINAL ARTICLE
The psychological impact of COVID-19 among newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer when cancer care was returning to normal
Jie Li,
Songying Zhu,
Wei Gao,
Jie Li
Center for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
NHC Key Laboratory of Health Economics and Policy Research (Shandong University), Jinan, China
Search for more papers by this authorSongying Zhu
Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Wei Gao
Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
Correspondence
Wei Gao, MPH, RN, Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 107 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorJie Li,
Songying Zhu,
Wei Gao,
Jie Li
Center for Health Management and Policy Research, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
NHC Key Laboratory of Health Economics and Policy Research (Shandong University), Jinan, China
Search for more papers by this authorSongying Zhu
Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
Search for more papers by this authorCorresponding Author
Wei Gao
Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, China
Correspondence
Wei Gao, MPH, RN, Department of Breast Surgery, Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, 107 Wenhuaxi Road, Jinan, Shandong 250012, China.
Email: [email protected]
Search for more papers by this authorFunding information: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant/Award Number: 72004119
Abstract
Objective
We aim to evaluate anxiety, depression and fear of cancer progression in newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer when cancer care was returning to normal after COVID-19 by comparing them with the pre-COVID patients and explore the association of worries about further cancer care and loneliness with them.
Methods
Two hundred and eighteen newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer during the pandemic were surveyed using questionnaires, and 153 patients before the pandemic were included in the control group. Logistic regression analyses were used.
Results
There were 51.8%, 44.0% and 30.7% of patients during the pandemic reported anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and clinically significant fear of cancer progression, respectively. The risks of anxiety symptoms (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.43–3.51), depressive symptoms (1.61, 1.04–2.50) and clinically significant fear of cancer progression (4.65, 2.49–8.70) were higher in patients during the pandemic than pre-COVID patients. Worries about further cancer care and loneliness were associated with 1.40–2.52 times higher risks of these psychological problems among the patients during the pandemic.
Conclusions
The newly diagnosed patients with breast cancer during COVID-19 are at elevated risks of depression, anxiety and fear of cancer progression, and those who are worried about further cancer care and felt loneliness during the pandemic were more likely to experience psychological problems.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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