Coping skills and associated sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors among women with breast cancer in Iraq: a cross-sectional study”

Abstract

Background: Coping skills play a vital role in managing the physical and psychological effects of breast cancer (BC). Despite improvements in early detection and treatment, Breast cancer survivors continue to face long-term challenges after diagnosis. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the coping skills employed by breast cancer women in Iraq and to identify the sociodemographic, clinical, and psychological factors associated with these coping skills. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 244 breast cancer women in The Medical City Teaching Oncology Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq, from August 2023 to October 2023, coping skills and psychological factors were assessed using the BRIEF COPE-28, and Hospital Anxiety Depression scale (HADS), respectively. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were also assessed. The associations between the associated factors and coping skills were assessed using multiple linear regression. Results: Mean (SD) coping skills for active coping, passive coping, and seeking support were 5.96 (1.31), 4.00 (1.10), and 7.58 (0.84), respectively. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that active coping was significantly influenced by hormonal therapy, anxiety, and depression (p < 0.05), while type of surgery and anxiety were associated with passive coping (p < 0.05), whereas seeking support was affected by disease stage, duration surgery, and anxiety (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study highlights the associated factors influencing the coping skills among breast cancer women in Iraq, and the need for targeted psychological and clinical interventions to improve coping skills.