Abstract
Background: The experience of breast cancer diagnosis leads to being confronted with the unknown and uncertainty. In some cases, patients develop symptoms of psychological distress after the diagnosis, which can have a negative influence during and after treatment. In Quebec, there are several breast cancer clinics that appear to offer psychological assessment to patients and psychosocial services during the different phases of the disease. To our knowledge, few Quebec studies have looked at the effectiveness of and access to psychosocial services in times of non-crisis. The COVID-19 pandemic also led to changes in breast clinics (e.g., closure of screening clinics, reception of diagnosis remotely, changes in treatment plans). However, no Canadian study has qualitatively examined patients’ experiences of the impact of the pandemic on access and effectiveness of these services.
Objectives: The first objective of this qualitative study is to describe the perspectives of Quebec women who received a breast cancer diagnosis and/or treatment during the pandemic on the access to and effectiveness of psychosocial services. In addition, the second objective is to identify patient recommendations for improving the well-being of patients receiving psychosocial oncology services.
Method: As part of this larger project, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 Quebec patients (M = 47.05 years, SD = 9.07) diagnosed and/or treated for breast cancer before and during the pandemic. Descriptive analyses performed in MaxQDA allowed us to establish a thematic guide and narrative summaries.
Results: A minority of participants (n = 6) were offered psychosocial services at the time of their diagnosis. Although not all of them used the resources offered, they appreciated having them available. In contrast, 12 participants did not receive psychosocial resources, and more than half of these women were unsatisfied as they experienced intense psychological distress following diagnosis, which continued during treatment. Many women (n = 12) had to seek help on their own.
Conclusion: In order to improve the long-term experience of patients in times of crisis and non-crisis in Quebec, the results show that it could be beneficial to offer psychosocial services based on the needs of users, rather than solely on the severity of psychological symptoms.