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Journals / Balkan Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi / 2026 / Cilt: 5 Sayı: 2

The Effect of Stigma on Psychological Well-Being in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer and Nursing Care

Meme Kanseri Tanısı Alan Kadınlarda Damgalanmanın Psikolojik İyi Oluş Üzerine Etkisi ve Hemşirelik Bakımı

Elif Ezgi Koç(Ondokuz Mayıs Üniversitesi, Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi)0009-0009-9620-5441
Gulay Akman(ONDOKUZ MAYIS ÜNİVERSİTESİ, SAĞLIK BİLİMLERİ ENSTİTÜSÜ)0000-0002-9492-6298
Pages
172–183
Publication Date
2026-07-21
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AI Summary & Key Takeaways

AI Insight
⚡ TL;DR(Too Long; Didn't Read)

Therapeutic communication, counseling, psychoeducation, and social support–oriented nursing approaches are recommended to reduce stigma and enhance psychological well-being.

📌 3 Key Takeaways

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Objective & Hypothesis:Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women worldwide and in Türkiye.
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Key Findings & Data:In addition to its high prevalence, it constitutes a significant psychosocial burden due to its close association with body image, femininity, and social roles.
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Conclusion & Impact:Therapeutic communication, counseling, psychoeducation, and social support–oriented nursing approaches are recommended to reduce stigma and enhance psychological well-being.
🔬Design:Review & Systematic Survey
📍Scope:Comprehensive Sample
⚙️Variables:damgalanma · hemşirelik bakımı · meme kanseri

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women worldwide and in Türkiye. In addition to its high prevalence, it constitutes a significant psychosocial burden due to its close association with body image, femininity, and social roles. The aim of this review is to evaluate the effects of stigma on psychological well-being in women diagnosed with breast cancer and to examine the role of nursing care in this process. The literature indicates that visible bodily changes resulting from surgical interventions and chemotherapy during breast cancer treatment may increase experiences of stigma. Stigma is associated with social withdrawal, decreased self-esteem, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. It is generally addressed at three levels: experienced stigma, perceived stigma, and internalized stigma. In particular, internalized stigma is emphasized as an important risk factor that may weaken key components of psychological well-being such as hope, life satisfaction, emotional balance, and coping capacity. In this context, nursing care plays a critical role in the early identification of stigma, the assessment of psychosocial needs, and the planning of holistic and evidence-based interventions. Therapeutic communication, counseling, psychoeducation, and social support–oriented nursing approaches are recommended to reduce stigma and enhance psychological well-being.

Özet

Meme kanseri, dünya genelinde ve Türkiye’de kadınlar arasında en sık görülen kanser türlerinden biri olmasının yanı sıra, beden algısı, kadınlık kimliği ve toplumsal rollerle yakından ilişkili olması nedeniyle önemli bir psikososyal yük oluşturmaktadır. Bu derleme çalışmasının amacı, meme kanseri tanısı alan kadınlarda damgalanmanın psikolojik iyi oluş üzerindeki etkilerini ve bu süreçte hemşirelik bakımının rolünü değerlendirmektir. Literatür meme kanserinin tedavi sürecinde cerrahi girişimler ve kemoterapiye bağlı görünür bedensel değişimlerin damgalanma deneyimini artırabildiğini; damgalanmanın sosyal geri çekilme, benlik saygısında azalma, anksiyete ve depresif belirtilerle ilişkili olduğunu göstermektedir. Damgalanma sıklıkla deneyimlenen, algılanan ve içselleştirilmiş damgalanma olmak üzere üç temel düzeyde ele alınmaktadır. Özellikle içselleştirilmiş damgalanmanın, umut, yaşam doyumu, duygusal denge ve baş etme kapasitesi gibi psikolojik iyi oluş bileşenlerini zayıflatan önemli bir risk etmeni olduğu vurgulanmaktadır. Bu bağlamda hemşirelik bakımı; damgalanmanın erken dönemde tanılanması, psikososyal gereksinimlerin belirlenmesi ve bütüncül, kanıta dayalı girişimlerin planlanması açısından kritik öneme sahiptir. Damgalanmanın azaltılması ve psikolojik iyi oluşun güçlendirilmesi amacıyla terapötik iletişim, danışmanlık, psikoeğitim ve sosyal destek odaklı hemşirelik yaklaşımları önerilmektedir.

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Cite This Article

Koç, E. E., Akman, G. (2026). The Effect of Stigma on Psychological Well-Being in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer and Nursing Care. Balkan Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, Cilt: 5 Sayı: 2, 172–183. https://doi.org/10.61830/balkansbd.1956127

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