title: Quality of life of patients who undergo breast reconstruction after mastectomy: effects of personality characteristics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reconstruction after mastectomy has become an integral part of breast cancer treatment. The effects of psychological factors on quality of life after reconstruction have been poorly investigated. The authors examined clinical and personality characteristics related to quality of life in patients receiving reconstructive surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  All patients received immediate reconstruction and were evaluated in the week before tissue expander implantation (T0) with a semistructured interview for demographic and clinical characteristics, the Temperament and Character Inventory, the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems, the Short Form Health Survey, the Severity Item of the Clinical Global Impression, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. Assessment with the Short Form was repeated 3 months after expander placement (T1). Statistics were calculated with univariate regression and analysis of variance. Significant variables were included in a multiple regression analysis to identify factors related to the change T1-T0 of the mean of the Short Form-transformed scores. Results were significant when p was less than or equal to 0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifty-seven women were enrolled. Results of multiple regression analysis showed that the Temperament and Character Inventory personality dimension harm avoidance and the Inventory of Interpersonal Problems domain vindictive/self-centered were significantly and independently related to the change in Short Form mean score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Personality dimensions and patterns of interpersonal functioning produce significant effects on patients' quality of life during breast reconstruction. Patients with high harm avoidance are apprehensive and doubtful. Restoration of body image could help them to reduce social anxiety and insecurity. Vindictive/self-centered patients are resentful and aggressive. Breast reconstruction could symbolize the conclusion of a reparative process and fulfill the desire of revenge on cancer.
authors.affiliation: Turin, Italy From the Service for Personality Disorders, Unit of Psychiatry 1, and the Clinical Methodology Unit, Department of Neurosciences, and the Service for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Unit of Plastic Surgery, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Turin.
authors.forename: Silvio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bellino
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fenocchio
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zizza
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rocca
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bogetti
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bogetto
mesh_terms: D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016462:Mammaplasty / Q000523:psychology*; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011788:Quality of Life; D012044:Regression Analysis