Comparing intimacy, quality, and adjustment of married women with cancer undergoing mastectomy/lumpectomy versus normal women

The present study aimed to compare the marital intimacy, quality, and adjustment of married patients undergoing mastectomy, lumpectomy, and normal women in Kermanshah City. The study population included all married women living in Kermanshah City in 2017. The sample size was 225 people (three groups of 75 people). They were selected using convenience sampling. Three questionnaires were used to collect data: (1) the marital intimacy scale, (2) the revised marital quality scale, and (3) the marital adjustment scale. An inferential statistical index of one-factor variance analysis was used to analyze the data.  The results revealed a significant difference in marital intimacy, adjustment, and quality between married women with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy or lumpectomy. Accordingly, women with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy had the lowest levels of marital intimacy, marital adjustment, and marital quality. Women with breast cancer who underwent lumpectomy and normal women obtained the highest scores for marital intimacy, adjustment, and quality. According to these results, more psychological interventions and couple therapy should be used to cope with the effects of breast cancer on married life.