Assessment of Unmet Needs Among Survivors of Breast Cancer

Abstract

Published literature on survivors of breast cancer suggests that a small subset of survivors will develop moderate-to-severe psychopathology. The current study aimed to develop and pilot a needs-assessment questionnaire specifically for survivors of the disease. An initial qualitative phase generated items for inclusion in a "Survivors Module" needs-assessment instrument. In the second phase, 95 survivors in remission were asked to complete the Survivors Module as well as measures of depression and anxiety, menopausal symptoms, and quality of life. Two weeks later, they completed the Survivors Module again to establish test-retest reliability. Initial pilot testing of the Survivors Module suggests that the module is a valid and reliable instrument, although further validation and analysis of its psychometric properties using a larger sample would be warranted. A large minority of survivors were found to have many unmet psychosocial needs in a number of areas, particularly in the domain of needs regarding information and medical communication. Unmet needs for help in coping with breast cancer also were prevalent.