Factores Influencing Body Image and Self-Deception among Breast Cancer female patients

Abstract Background: The psychological well-being of the breast cancer woman is certainly negatively impacted when a major part of her body, like her breast, which symbolizes her femininity, is subjected to numerous physical changes, scarring, and deformities as a result of illness and its treatment. Objectives: The study sought to determine whether age at diagnosis, marital status, length of illness, and type of treatment were associated with variations in the degree of body image and self-deception among breast cancer patients, as well as to investigate the correlation between Patients’ body image and self-deception. Method: A cross sectional study design used, employed a sample of 134 female cancer patients undergoing treatment at the inpatient and outpatient sitting, a Validated tool consists of patients’ personal information, patients’ body image scale, and self- deception scale were used to answer research questions. Results: The findings indicated that there were differences in patients’ body image scale based on the variables of social status, length of illness, and type of treatment. Additionally, the responses of participant on self-deception scale are varied based on the variables age at diagnosis and social status. Lastly, the findings demonstrated a positive relationship between breast cancer patients' levels of self-deception and body image. Conclusion: The study suggested designing counselling programs to help breast cancer patients feel better about their bodies and lessen the negative effects of self-deception. Keywords: Body Image, Self-Deception, Breast Cancer Patients, Length of illness, Type of treatment