An Investigation into Psychological Aspects of Patients Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: A Review Study of Postgraduate Theses Prepared in Turkey

Abstract

A significant number of scientific data concerning breast cancer is generated in Turkey. The present research reviewed postgraduate theses examining the psychological evaluation of breast cancer patients conducted in Turkey. The objective of the review study was to ascertain the focal topics of the theses, identify commonly examined psychological variables, determine research gaps, compare the frequency of experimental and intervention studies with other kinds of research, and provide recommendations for literature. A retrospective descriptive study was designed by performing a search on the YÖK Thesis Center website with the keywords “breast cancer” and “psychology” (in Turkish and English) between 2000 and 2024. The criteria for inclusion in the review study required that the dissertation be a master’s or doctoral thesis in psychology, involve breast cancer patients as participants, focus on patients who are not in remission, and be available as open access. Twenty-seven postgraduate theses were selected. Of the theses 88.9% were classified as master’s theses, while 11.1% were categorized as doctoral theses. Although the variables included in the these studies were numerous, some were investigated more often. “Post-traumatic growth” was evaluated by 12 theses, “perceived social support” by 6, “depression-anxiety-stress” by 15, and “coping” by 8. more frequently observed factors include metacognition, ruminative thinking, schemas, body perception/image, and self-esteem. Most of the studies were relational and non-interventional. Only three studies used psychological intervention. It is suggested that thesis studies should include more participant characteristics, control for them in analyses, and be more experimental and effectiveness focused.