# Prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms and associated factors among women diagnosed with breast cancer: A cross-sectional study at Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Dar es Salaam–Tanzania

## TL;DR

This study found high rates of anxiety and depression among breast cancer patients in Tanzania and identified factors like lack of cancer stage knowledge and low hope as contributors.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into mental health prevalence and risk factors specific to breast cancer patients in a low-income setting.

## Key findings

- Anxiety and depression symptoms were highly prevalent (44.8% and 50.5%, respectively) among breast cancer patients.
- Lack of cancer stage knowledge and low hope were significantly associated with anxiety symptoms.
- Depression was linked to being unmarried, receiving radiotherapy, and low cognitive reappraisal.

## Abstract

Anxiety and depression are the prevailing mental illnesses in low and middle-income nations. The shock of receiving breast cancer diagnosis and it’s effects on daily life make it perplexing to adjust to the situation, hence anxiety and or depression symptoms develop. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression symptoms among women diagnosed with breast cancer at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

We conducted an analytical quantitative cross-sectional study between May and June 2023 among 384 women diagnosed with breast cancer using consecutive sampling. We used a pre-tested interviewer-administered questionnaire to collect data and the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (IBM SPSS) version 23 for data analysis. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with anxiety and depression symptoms, and a p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

We found a relatively high prevalence of anxiety (44.8%) and depression (50.5%). Participants who didn’t know their stage of cancer [adjusted Odds Ratio (aOR): 0.39; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.19, 0.83; p = 0.014]; in early stage of cancer [aOR: 0.36; 95%CI: 0.16, 0.81; p = 0.014]; with low state of hope [aOR: 0.52; 95%CI: 0.31, 0.86; p = 0.012]; and low cognitive reappraisal [aOR: 2.09; 95%CI: 1.33, 3.28; p < 0.001] were significantly associated with anxiety. Those without partners [aOR: 2.56; 95%CI: 1.59, 4.10; p < 0.001]; didn’t know their stage of cancer [aOR: 0.38; 95%CI: 0.17, 0.86; p = 0.020]; receiving radiotherapy treatment [aOR: 3.86; 95% CI: 1.34, 11.08; p = 0.012]; and low cognitive reappraisal [aOR: 2.41; 95%CI: 1.52, 3.83; p < 0.001] were significantly associated with depression.

Symptoms of depression and anxiety were very common among women diagnosed with breast cancer in this study. We strongly advise for proper care including routine screening from mental health specialists to improve treatment outcomes among this population group.