Psychological Distress and Drawing Tests among Women with Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the Diagnostic Drawing Series (DDS) as a screening tool for the breast cancer patients with psychological distress. METHODS: All of 64 patients with breast cancer participated in this study. Patients' depressive and anxiety symptoms were assessed using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) when the DDS was applied to the partipicants. RESULTS: Depressed patients used more enclosure in the Feeling drawings (P = 0.002) and tilt in Free drawings (P = 0.048). Patients with anxiety drew a picture over 67% of the paper (P = 0.015) in Tree drawing and more medium pressure (P = 0.049) in Feeling drawings. Thirty four subjects (77.3%) of unstable emotion group used over 67% of the space (P = 0.002). More Landscapes were observed in the Feeling drawings of unstable patients (P = 0.042). CONCLUSION: These results suggested that DDS could be used as a supplemental screening tool for psychological distress in breast cancer patients.