The effect of gender role stress on psychological distress in women with breast cancer after mastectomy.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer is also the most common cancer in women in Turkey. The breast is closely linked to female identity and the feminine gender role. It plays an important role in a woman's body image, self-perception, and consequently, her psychological well-being. One of the variables that is not sufficiently recognized in breast cancer treatments, especially after mastectomy, is gender roles and the stress stemming from these roles. This study examined the impact of gender role stress on psychological distress in women.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 264 women with breast cancer who attended the surgical oncology outpatient clinic of a state hospital in Türkiye. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Female Gender Role Stress Scale, and Kessler's Psychological Distress Scale. One-way Analysis of Variance, Kruskal-Wallis H Test, Independent sample t-test, and Pearson correlation coefficient were used in data analysis.

RESULTS

Women with breast cancer were found to experience high levels of gender role stress and psychological distress. Women who held bachelor's degrees, had a nuclear family structure, and whose spouses held bachelor's degrees experienced high levels of gender role stress and psychological distress. Gender role stress experienced by women with breast cancer was not significantly associated with psychological distress.

CONCLUSIONS

The results reveal the importance of evaluating gender role stress alongside psychological health in women with breast cancer after mastectomy. Nurses should consider psychological challenges and coping strategies alongside gender roles when evaluating women with post-mastectomy breast cancer holistically in terms of health.