Resilience as a Source of Easement to Health-Related Worries in Women at Increased Risk for Breast or Ovarian Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected individuals' and society's physical and psychological well-being. The study was conducted in order to assess the predictors for health-related worries during the COVID-19 pandemic in vulnerable populations. Patients and Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey of women who had a higher risk of developing breast cancer (BC) or ovarian cancer (OC) was conducted, regardless of whether they had experienced an active malignant disease during the pandemic. A self-reported questionnaire was designed for this study to assess health-related worries. The PHQ-4 questionnaire was used to evaluate mental health, and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) questionnaire was employed to investigate resilience. Results: History of BC or OC was recognized as an independent significant risk factor for worries regarding being more susceptible to a more severe course of COVID-19 disease (OR 3.593; 95% CI 1.030-12.536; p = 0.045). High scores in the BRS questionnaire were negatively correlated with health-related worries, such as an increased risk for occurrence of BC or OC (OR 0.332; 95% CI 0.118-0.933; p = 0.37) or worsening of oncological outcome as a result of an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (OR 0.330; 95% I 0.114-0.956; p = 0.041). Conclusion:The obtained findings determined resilience as an independent and potent protective parameter in terms of health-related concerns in women at high risk for BC and OC. The results may assist in identifying women at risk for health-related concerns during adverse life events, allowing healthcare providers to respond fast and according to the patients´ needs.

Associations among resilience, hope, social support, stress, and anxiety severity in Chinese women with abnormal cervical cancer screening results

“…Resilience is a transdiagnostic protector against mental disorders and a decreasing quality of life among individuals faced with diverse adversities [ 72 , 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 ]. Recently it was revealed that resilience helped alleviate health-related worries in women with an increased risk for breast or ovarian cancer [ 77 ]. Resilience is also an important source of healthy adaptation for people despite encountering difficulties [ 78 ].…”

The role of the oxytocin system in the resilience of patients with breast cancer

“…Resilience in breast cancer patients is both a state and a trait, as demonstrated by a study investigating resilience’s role in these patients ( 48 ). In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was found that breast cancer patients with higher levels of resilience had fewer concerns about tumor progression due to COVID-19 infection ( 49 ). Resilience, therefore, plays a crucial role in the quality of life of breast cancer patients and their ability to cope with diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.…”