Depression experienced by young women newly diagnosed with breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women. While almost a quarter of women diagnosed with breast cancer are 50 or younger, few studies are focused on them. Compared to older women, young women have more difficulty adjusting to the breast cancer diagnosis, report more symptoms of distress and a lower quality of life. This study examined depressive symptoms among an ethnically diverse sample of 331 young women, newly diagnosed with breast cancer. The focus was to determine the relative importance of biological, psychological and social variables as correlates of their level of depression. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis indicated that a model combining these variables is more highly correlated with depressive symptoms than using biological, psychological or social variables separately. Single measures including bodily pain, self-esteem, level of emotional support and age had independent effects in the combined regression model. Early intervention may prevent these biopsychosocial symptoms progressing to major depression and, thus, enhance the quality of life. Copyright (c) 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.