Preditores da qualidade de vida numa amostra de mulheres com cancro da mama

Abstract

Aims: To characterize the variables alexithymia, spirituality (beliefs dimension and hope/optimism dimension) and assertiveness in the quality of life of women with breast cancer. Methodology: The sample is composed by 85 women with breast cancer from a Hospital of Porto, with an average age of 47 years old and mostly married. The patients completed 6 questionnaires: Sociodemographic and Clinical Questionnaire; Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20); Spirituality Evaluation Scale; Rathus Assertiveness Scale and The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQC-30, v.3.0). Results: The results indicate that alexithymia is negatively correlated with the hope/optimism dimension and with assertiveness and that all of these three variables are correlated to quality of life. It also demonstrates the existence of a positive correlation between age and quality of life and a negative correlation between the number of schooling years with alexithymia and beliefs dimension. The predictive model tested demonstrates the influence of alexithymia and hope/optimism dimension in the quality of life of women with breast cancer, even after controlling anxiety and depression.