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Depressive symptomatology correlates with phantom breast syndrome in mastectomized women

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Abstract

Objective

Phantom breast syndrome (PBS) after mastectomy has been hypothesized to represent a complex psychological reaction to mastectomy, but psychological studies concerning PBS are few and inconclusive. This study aimed to assess possible correlations of PBS to current psychopathology and personality dimensions, as well as to examine subjectively experienced provoking and relieving factors for the experience of PBS.

Method

A total of 105 women who had undergone modified radical mastectomy were interviewed by a structured questionnaire after breast surgery. Moreover, they completed a set of self-administered psychometric scales consisting of Symptom Checklist-90-R, Eysenck personality questionnaire, Zung depression scale, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Whiteley Index of hypochondriasis.

Results

PBS was experienced by 24 women (22.9%). The majority of them thought that PBS did not interfere with their everyday life. Women with PBS scored significantly higher on the Zung depression scale. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that women aged more than 66 years were 82% less likely to have PBS compared to those aged less than 51 years.

Conclusion

These findings provide evidence that PBS is associated with higher scores of depressive symptomatology and younger age. The nature of such an association remains unclear and calls for further investigation.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a scholarship in Psychosomatic Medicine awarded to the first author by the Hellenic States Scholarships Foundation (IKY), Athens, Greece.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Eginition Hospital, University of Athens, 74, Vas. Sofias Ave., 11528, Athens, Greece

    Areti C. Spyropoulou, Charalabos Papageorgiou, George N. Christodoulou & Konstantin R. Soldatos

  2. 2nd Department of Propedeutic Surgery, Laiko General Hospital, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Christos Markopoulos

Authors
  1. Areti C. Spyropoulou
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  2. Charalabos Papageorgiou
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  3. Christos Markopoulos
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  4. George N. Christodoulou
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  5. Konstantin R. Soldatos
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Correspondence to Areti C. Spyropoulou.

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Spyropoulou, A.C., Papageorgiou, C., Markopoulos, C. et al. Depressive symptomatology correlates with phantom breast syndrome in mastectomized women. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosc 258, 165–170 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-007-0770-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-007-0770-y

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