title: Depressive phenomena, physical symptom distress, and functional status among women with breast cancer.
abstract: The nature and scope of depression and its relationship to physical symptom distress and functional status were examined in 79 women 3 to 7 months after breast cancer diagnosis. Psychiatric diagnostic criteria for depressive disorders and a depression rating scale were used to measure depression. Nine percent of the sample had depressive disorder, and 24% had elevated depressive symptoms. Women with elevated depressive symptoms had more physical symptom distress (p < .0001) and more impaired functioning (p < .0001) than subjects with depressive disorders and without depression. Multiple regression was used to examine the contribution of key variables to functional status. Two variables accounted for 35% of the variance in functional status: symptom distress (28%) and depressive symptoms (7%).
authors.affiliation: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, Philadelphia, USA.
authors.forename: J V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Pasacreta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007406:Interview, Psychological; D008875:Middle Aged; D019965:Neurocognitive Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013689:Telephone