Study examines resilience, depression, and quality of life in patients with breast cancer

Resilience is the ability of an individual to recover or maintain relatively stable psychological and physical functioning when confronted with stressful life events and adversities. In a study published in Psycho-Oncology that included 193 patients with breast cancer who were receiving chemotherapy before undergoing surgery, investigators assessed resilience through questionnaires.

Those with resilience were less likely to experience depressive symptoms during chemotherapy, and in turn, experience better health-related quality of life after chemotherapy.

The results suggest that patients with breast cancer who have low resilience may be at risk for developing depression during chemotherapy.

"Patients receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer, especially those with low resilience, should be screened and treated for depression to maintain their health-related quality of life," said lead author Sungwon Lee, MD, of Seoul National University College of Medicine.