Abstract
The authors performed a mail questionnaire on 96 out of 105 breast cancer patients one week after breast cancer mastectomy. All paticipants gave informed consent for participation. The questionnaire was composed of 16 items based on Fink's crisis model, support questionnaire, commercial TEG questionnaire for ego-state and self-esteem questionnaire (10 items of Rosenberg translated by Kan) . The following results were obtained. In terms of TEG scores, CP (Critical Parent) scores and AC (Adapted Child) scores tended to be lower as patients proceeded from the defensive retreat stage to the adaptation stage, while NP (Nurturing Parent) scores, A (Adult) scores and FC (Free Child) scores tended to become higher as they moved from the defensive retreat stage to the acknowledge and adaptation stage. FC scores of the patients in the adaptation stage were significantly higher (p<0.05) than those in the defensive retreat stage. The FC/AC ratio was significantly higher (p<0.05) as the patients moved from the defensive retreat stage to the acknowledge and then to the adaptation stage. The average self-esteem score was 29.6 and increased as the patients improved from the defensive retreat stage to the acknowledge and adaptation stage. This indicates that self-esteem affects the development of crisis, and patients with low SE need individualized care.
