THE IMPACT OF BREAST CANCER DIAGNOSIS ON THE EMOTIONAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STATE OF WOMEN

Abstract

Introduction: The diagnosis of breast cancer has a profound impact on the lives of affected patients, revealing the substantial need to explore the psycho-emotional reality of the disease. Objective: To investigate the common psycho-emotional reactions associated with the diagnosis of breast cancer. Materials and Methods: This is a literary review carried out in the virtual health library (VHL), Scholar Google, Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo) and ministry of health databases, selecting 37 publications in Portuguese. The searches cover the period from 2019 to 2023. Results: It was shown that the most common psycho-emotional reactions to the diagnosis of breast cancer are anxiety and depression disorders, fear, anguish and sadness. Therefore, the most common and effective support strategies are religiosity and the social support network. Conclusion: The analysis of the psycho-emotional consequences on different scales following the diagnosis of breast cancer contributes to understanding the illness process and the search for effective support strategies.