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The Ability to Relax Attenuates the Relationship Between Pain and Depression in Older Breast Cancer Patients
Location: 56
Mentor: Dr. Michael Antoni
Background: Pain and depression are among the challenges faced by breast cancer (BC) patients. While many utilize stress management (e.g., relaxation techniques) to cope, the impact of these relaxation techniques on the relationship between physical and emotional symptoms remains unclear. We aimed to explore the connection between pain and depression in older BC patients, and investigate whether the ability to relax moderates this relationship.
Methods: Older women (N=99; age ≥50) with newly diagnosed BC participated in a stress management trial following BC surgery and before adjuvant therapies. During baseline measures, participants reported on depression (Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression), pain (Brief Pain Inventory), and ability to relax (Measure of Current Status Part A). A linear regression model was used to analyze the relationship between pain and depression, as well as the moderating effect of ability to relax. This analysis controlled for age, BC stage, and days since surgery.
Results: Increased pain severity (B=1.00, SE=0.17; p
