What question did this study set out to answer?

To assess psychological distress and sleep disturbances among breast cancer patients at diagnosis.

May 24, 2026Open Access

616P High burden of psychological distress at breast cancer diagnosis in an LMIC center: Arabic HADS cross-sectional results

Key Points

To assess psychological distress and sleep disturbances among breast cancer patients at diagnosis.
Cross-sectional study approved by ethics committee
Participants completed questionnaires including HADS, PSQI, and ISI
Data analysis included correlational and group comparison methods
66% of participants reported poor sleep quality (PSQI>5)
41% had clinically significant insomnia (ISI15)
Chemotherapy patients showed higher insomnia severity, correlating with the number of cycles (r=0.23, p=0.002)

Abstract

models.All patients provided informed consent, and the study was approved by the local ethics committee.Results: Approximately 66% of participants reported poor sleep quality (PSQI>5), and 41% had clinically significant insomnia (ISI15).Sleep disturbances were significantly associated with reduced global health status and impaired physical, emotional, cognitive, and social functioning (all p<0.001).Patients receiving chemotherapy reported higher insomnia severity and poorer sleep quality than those on endocrine or targeted therapies.The number of chemotherapy cycles positively correlated with insomnia severity (=0.23,p=0.002).Conclusions: Sleep disturbances are common in BC patients receiving systemic treatment and are strongly associated with reduced HRQoL.Systematic screening and targeted interventions for sleep disturbances should be integrated across the continuum of care, as these disturbances can compromise patients' HRQoL and functional outcomes.Legal entity responsible for the study: The authors.

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