The relationship between death anxiety and sleep quality among Moroccan women with breast cancer

This study aims to examine the relationship between the death anxiety level and the sleep quality level among women with breast cancer in a cancer center in Rabat in order to understand the impact of psychological factors on the health and social status of patients. This study is a descriptive correlational study which included 101 women with breast cancer from Friends of the National Institute of Oncology Association in Rabat (AMINO). Sleep quality was measured using the Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the level of death anxiety was assessed using the Death Anxiety Scale (DAS). The data were statistically analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25. The results of the study showed a significant decrease in the level of sleep quality among the participants; with an average sleep quality score of 8.32 ± 5.26, which was particularly represented by difficulty falling asleep and short sleep duration. The results also showed a statistically significant correlation between the DAS scores and the total PSQI score (r=0.41, P <0.01). Regarding the sleep quality index, the results did not show statistically significant differences between the variables. Women residing in rural areas recorded higher scores on the death anxiety scale than those residing in urban areas (P=0.030). Shorter diagnosis time was associated with higher levels of death anxiety than longer periods (P=0.007), while the results showed that participants in the post-treatment phase recorded lower death anxiety scores than participants in the treatment phase (P=0.002). The results showed a significant correlation between the study variables in a sample of women with breast cancer. This study recommended to provide psychological support to this group with a focus on treating sleep problems and reducing death anxiety levels to improve their psychological and physical condition. The importance of integrating psychological and health care as an essential part of the comprehensive treatment plan lies on improving quality of life and helping patients adapt to the psychological and physical challenges associated with the disease.