title: Religiosity, depression, and quality of life in Korean patients with breast cancer: a 1-year prospective longitudinal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the association among religiosity and depression, anxiety, and quality of life in women with breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample consisted of 284 patients with breast cancer who were undergoing surgery. They were assessed with the following instruments at baseline and at 1 year after surgery: the Duke Religious Index (DRI), the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale, the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale, and the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30. Depression was diagnosed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The prevalence of depression at baseline and at 1 year was 22.5% and 16.5%, respectively. The religious groups did not differ significantly with respect to the prevalence of depression or scores on psychiatric measures at either baseline or at 1 year. The prevalence of depression significantly decreased only in the Protestant group, from 30.1% to 15.7%. Scores on the DRI were significantly negatively correlated with scores on all of the anxiety and depression scales at 1 year after surgery in this group. In contrast, scores on the religious activity subscale of the DRI were significantly positively correlated with scores on the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale at baseline or at 1 year among Catholic participants. The DRI scores of Protestant respondents were significantly positively correlated with scores on the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire Core 30 at 1 year after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Religiosity plays an important role in the emotional state and quality of life of Korean women with breast cancer. However, its clinical meaning may differ according to the type of religious affiliation and the stage of illness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Eun
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Sung-Wan
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Seon-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae-Min
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Min-Ho
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Jung-Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.forename: Hee-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Hee-Ju
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Kyung-Yeol
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Bae
authors.forename: Il-Seon
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Jin-Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Yoon
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D044466:Asian People / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery; D003863:Depression / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008408:Mastectomy; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D012067:Religion; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires