International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies Volume 4, Issue 3, March 2017, PP1 -6 ISSN 2394-6288 (Print) & ISSN 2394-6296 (Online) http://dx.doi.org/10.22259/ijrhss.0403001 International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies V4 ● I3 ● March 2017 1 Comparison of the Level of Anxiety and Quality of Life among Spouses of Women with Breast Cancer and Healthy Women Mahboobeh Magharei 1,2 , Fereshteh Dehgahanrad 1,2 *, Fatemeh Vizeshfar 1,2,3 1 Faculty member of Nursing, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Shiraz, Iran 2 Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences , Shiraz, Iran 3 PHD Candidate of Nursing Education, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran ABSTRACT The present study examined the Level of anxiety and Quality of life among spouses of women with breast cancer and husbands of healthy women. The statistical population of the study was all of the spouses of patients with breast cancer who were under chemotherapy. Husbands of women with breast cancer (n = 95) and without breast cancer (n = 95) completed self-report questionnaires including demographic information, short-form quality of life questionnaire of WHO and Beck anxiety questionnaire. Results showed that levels of anxiety in husbands of women with breast cancer in compare to spouses of healthy women were higher. Although in this study, a significant statistical difference between the overall quality of life score of spouses of women with breast cancer and healthy women were not found, but a significant difference was observed in social relationships and environment domains. Keywords: Anxiety, Quality of life, Breast Cancer Women’s Spouses. INTRODUCTION The most common cancer among women is breast cancer [1]. This disease is a major surgical and oncological challenge [2]. In the United States, being the second fatal cancer in women, about 182000 women are diagnosed with this type of cancer annually [3]. In Iran, according to the estimation of Health, Treatment and Medical Education Ministry, breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in Iranian women and approximately 10000 women are diagnosed annually [4]. Diagnosis of a dangerous disease such as breast cancer interferes with not only the patients’ life but also the life of their relatives. In addition to the negative effects on patients’ quality of life, cancer and its treatment procedures also reduce their families’ quality of life, especially their spouses. Diagnosis of breast cancer in a patient leads to considerable psychological distress, anxiety, and depression for the patient’s spouse [5]. A comprehensive study on women with cancer demonstrated that the standardized ratio of the probability of occurrence of anxiety disorders in these women to the overall population of women is 1.25 [6]. Women with breast cancer described the negative consequences in themselves and their close family members. Their husbands experience emotional pains and psychological problems related to their caregiving role [7]. Husbands of women with breast cancer are the main source of support for them. In this regard, Sandgren et al (2004) conducted their study on quality of life in 112 women diagnosed with breast cancer between the ages of 34 to 84, within 1 to 3 months after diagnosis. They concluded that 60 percent of these patients introduced their spouses as the main source of emotional support [8]. The repercussions of breast cancer for patients’ family members and their spouses include depression, uncertainty, and anxiety [9]. Occasionally, in breast cancer cases, caregivers and patient advocates experience more severe cases of anxiety than the patient [10]. The patients’ spouses with breast cancer are in charge of other responsibilities in addition to having to deal with problems related to hospitalization. Furthermore, treatment outcomes, financial difficulties and family problems such as other family members’ illness and family conflicts may also be anxiety sources for these individuals [11].