Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and major depression are among the significant mental health problems experienced by the majority of women following a breast cancer diagnosis according to new research by scientists at Dartmouth University.
Contacting 236 newly diagnosed women who had not yet begun treatment, they found that one in two met clinical criteria for serious emotional distress or a psychiatric disorder. The most commonly reported problem was severe emotional distress most often related to the diagnosis and uncertainty about the treatment. An additional 11 percent also met criteria for major depression and 10 percent for PTSD.
Noting prior studies showing that psychological problems related to diagnosis may affect women even 20 years after successful treatment, researchers say these findings indicate the need to provide more intervention services for women diagnosed with the disease and to better disseminate high success rates of treatment.
Read more: Many Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients Have Unrecognized and Undertreated Psychological Needs
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