Exploring the Role of Self-Efficacy for Coping With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Background: Self-efficacy is a psychological source for helping patients adjust with breast cancer. The aim of the present review was to synthesize the studies on self-efficacy of women with breast cancer, to determine important factors affecting the perception of self-efficacy in breast cancer as well as to describe the role of self-efficacy in the breast cancer.

Methods: "Self-Efficacy (SE), Cancer-Related Self-Efficacy, Symptom-Management Self-Efficacy, Women, Breast Cancer, and Breast Neoplasms" , as keywords,  were searched in PubMed, CINAHL, OVID, and Web of Science from 2000 to 2016. We included only original articles published in English language, measuring self-efficacy in women with breast cancer.

Results: Twenty-four articles were chosen based on the inclusion criteria. The results of this review revealed that demographic variables, breast cancer diagnosis and type of treatment, bio-psycho-socio-spiritual status, and physician-patient relationship affect cancer specific SE.  SE impacts on physical and mental health, pain management, quality of life, body image, clinician-patient communication, and health information seeking behavior.

Conclusions: This review showed that breast cancer self-efficacy is a critical component for enhancement of goal-directed behaviors in patients and it should be supported by health care providers and family members. Findings of this review has some limitations, since great amount of findings were based on cross sectional data. Further research is needed to examine the impacts of breast cancer self-efficacy on health-related variables.