Psychological Characteristics of Women with Breast Cancer in Remission and the Fourth Stage1

Introduction. Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. The specific situation of the disease at certain stages, for example, at the stage of remission and the fourth stage, may contribute to the manifestation of certain psychological characteristics in cancer patients, which can be considered as personal resources for the adaptation of women with breast cancer to the disease situation. It is assumed that the complex of psychological characteristics studied in the study makes it possible to fully reflect the adaptive potential of a person in overcoming a difficult life situation, including one associated with a life-threatening disease. Objective. To study the psychological characteristics of women diagnosed with breast cancer at the stage of remission and the fourth stage. Materials and methods. The study involved 140 women aged 26 to 80 years. The study included patients with stage 4 (N=42) and women with remission from 6 months (N=98). Survey methods were used as research methods: the scale of basic beliefs (adaptation by M. A. Padun, A.V. Kotelnikova); the test of life orientations (adaptation by D.A. Tsiring, K.Yu. Evnina); the test of resilience (adaptation by D. Leontiev); questionnaire of subjective control (adaptation by E.F. Bazhin, S.A. Golynkin, A.M. Etkind); questionnaire of personal helplessness (D.A. Tsiring, A.V. Stepanenko); questionnaire "Subjective age of a person" (adaptation by E.A. Sergienko); subjective assessment of quality of life (questionnaire SF-36). Methods of mathematical processing: primary descriptive statistics, comparative analysis (U-Mann-Whitney criterion). Results. Psychological features of women with breast cancer at stage 4 were found, distinguishing them from women with breast cancer at the stage of remission in terms of the picture of the world, indicators of quality of life, personal helplessness-independence, subjective control, resilience. Conclusion. The data obtained indicate the presence of a special complex of psychological characteristics that occurs at a certain stage of the disease, and reflects the adaptive potential of women with breast cancer in overcoming a difficult life situation associated with a lifethreatening disease.