Breast Cancer Survivors’ Mental Health Related to Attachment Injury and Marital Satisfaction

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to verify differences of mental health related to attachment injury and marital satisfaction. Data was collected from two breast cancer clinics at university hospitals; a total of 203 breast cancer survivors participated in the study. Data was collected by a structured questionnaire which consisted of one-to-one questions concerning attachment injury, marital satisfaction, and mental health. The result showed that mental health in terms of somatization, obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, anxiety, hostility, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, and psychoticism varied significantly according to the different levels of attachment injury and marital satisfaction. High metal health problems were presented as having attachment injury and low marital satisfaction. This study suggests the development of counseling strategies and education programs to improve marital relationships of breast cancer survivors.