Exploring psychosocial needs of young women with breast cancer in a country with crisis: a mixed-methods study

INTRODUCTION: Previous research conducted in politically stable countries showed that the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer among young women can be very distressing and devastating and may result in a lot of unmet psychosocial needs affecting their quality of life. This study aimed to address the psychosocial needs of young women with breast cancer in war-torn Syria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A mixed-methods explanatory sequential design was employed in this study. Initially, a quantitative survey was conducted for 3 months from May to July 2022 on 167 young women using the Psychological Needs Inventory to identify their psychosocial needs. Secondly, a qualitative, semi-structured interview was conducted for 6 months from July to December 2022 with 11 participants to explore the challenges faced in meeting these needs.

RESULTS: The quantitative results showed that three items, "Help with financial matters", "Advice about food and diet", and "Help with transport", were identified as significant unmet psychosocial needs. All three items fall within the category of practical needs. The qualitative results identified five themes: (1) challenges of adequate information needs with five subthemes (inadequate communication with the health professionals, lack of educational programs and awareness campaigns, inadequate number of nurses, need for nutritionists, and effects of unmet informational needs); (2) psychological challenges with five subthemes (uncertainty of the future, fear concerning the children, fear of death, treatment-related effects and the loss of a woman's identity, and inadequate psychosocial care); (3) financial challenges with 2 subthemes (treatment not available and expensive, low incomes and high cost of living); (4) social influences with 2 subthemes (society's view and stigma, lack of marriage choices); and (5) environmental stressors with 2 subthemes (stressful hospital environment and situational factors).

CONCLUSION: These psychosocial needs identified were found to align with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, underscoring a cascading effect of the Syrian crisis across various dimensions of well-being. Young breast cancer women living in countries with crises have high levels of unmet psychosocial needs.