Reflexivity and existential fulfillment of women with benign and malignant breast tumors

Introduction. Breast neoplasms, both benign (fibrocystic mastopathy) and malignant (breast cancer), are the leading oncological pathology among the female population not only in the Russian Federation but also in the world since their prevalence is increasing everywhere. The psychological characteristics of cancer patients often play a decisive role in managing their health as well as assessing and maintaining their quality of life. The psychological potential of the patient associated with reflexivity and existential fulfillment simultaneously affects health assessment, treatment outcomes, and the course of the disease itself. Aim. The paper aims to estimate reflexivity and existential fulfillment in women with malignant and benign breast tumors. Materials and methods. The Existence Scale test (A. Laengle, Ch. Orgler) and A. Karpov's Questionnaire were used as diagnostic tools. The nonparametric Mann-Whitney U-test was used to estimate the differences between the existential scores of female patients with benign tumors (Group 1) and those of patients with malignant tumors (Group 2). The validity of the results was ensured by the application of the SPSS Statistics software suite. Results. The patients in Group 1 showed moderate scores for self-distance, freedom, and responsibility and low scores for self-transcendence. The females in Group 2 demonstrated low scores for self-distance and moderate scores for freedom, self-transcendence, and responsibility. The comparison of the results obtained by means of the Mann-Whitney U-test revealed a significant intergroup difference in terms of reflexivity: the patients in Group 1 featured more distinct reflexivity than those in Group 2. The study of significant correlations between reflexivity and existential parameters showed an inverse correlation of reflexivity with freedom in Group 1. At the same time, no significant correlations between reflexivity and existential parameters were found in Group 2. Conclusion. The use of psychodiagnostic tools in women with benign and malignant breast neoplasms makes it possible to assess their awareness and analysis of the disease situation, as well as to abstract from negative experiences, motives, and desires.