Evaluation of religious coping strategies in women recently diagnosed with breast cancer in Morocco: baseline findings from a cohort study

Objectives This study aims to assess positive and negative religious coping (PRC, NRC) in a sample of Moroccan women with breast cancer (BC) and examine the association with depression, anxiety, cancer clinical data and sociodemographic variables.Design We conducted a cross-sectional study.Setting T...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Btissame Zarrouq, Majid Omari, Mohammed El Amine Ragala, Sara Nadi, Lamiae Amaadour, Nawfel Mellas, Salima Kriya, Achraf El Asri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2025-06-01
Series:BMJ Open
Online Access:https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/15/6/e091991.full
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Summary:Objectives This study aims to assess positive and negative religious coping (PRC, NRC) in a sample of Moroccan women with breast cancer (BC) and examine the association with depression, anxiety, cancer clinical data and sociodemographic variables.Design We conducted a cross-sectional study.Setting The oncology departments of the public oncology hospital in the city of Fez, Morocco.Participants 209 patients newly diagnosed with BC before receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy from 2019 to 2023.Outcome measures Primary end-point variables included positive and negative religious coping, depression and anxiety. Secondary outcomes included demographic data and disease-related information.Results The patients, with a mean age of 47.43±9.45 years, had high PRC scores (26.87±3.12). Based on multiple linear regression, PRC was negatively associated with delay in diagnosis (discovery of first symptoms after more than 12 months), β=−0.19 (95% CI=−1.97 to –0.27; p=0.01). For NRC, there was a significant association with progesterone receptor β=0.14 (95% CI=0.08 to 1.12; p=0.02) and a positive association with psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale total score) β=0.42 (95% CI=0.07 to 0.14; p≤0.001).Conclusion Women with BC may benefit from a holistic approach that integrates positive religious coping patterns. This approach should take into account the determinants identified in this study and identify any negative religious coping strategies that may have an adverse effect on patients’ mental health.
ISSN:2044-6055