Best Of Best Poster Oral Clinical Oncology Society of Australia Annual Scientific Meeting 2017

Is mental well-being influenced by masculine self-esteem in men with prostate cancer? A cross-sectional study. (#139)

Eva M Zopf 1 2 , Suzanne Chambers 3 , John Oliffe 4 , Lucy Busija 1 , Prue Cormie 1 2
  1. Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  2. Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Western Australia, Australia
  3. Griffith University, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
  4. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Aims:

The diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer (PCa) can be a distressing experience for many men. Common treatment-related side effects can have an emasculating effect and may compromise men’s sense of their masculinity. The aim of this study was to explore whether masculine self-esteem influences mental wellbeing among men with PCa.

Methods:

In this cross-sectional study, 333 men with PCa completed a computer assisted telephone interview including questionnaires on physical and mental wellbeing (SF-36), PCa specific adverse effects (EORTC QLQ-PR25), depression (Male Depression Risk Scale), masculine self-esteem (Masculinity in Chronic Disease Inventory), and exercise behaviour (Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire). A hierarchical linear regression with bootstrapped confidence intervals was performed in five blocks: (i) age, marital status, education; (ii) time since diagnosis, tumor stage, current treatment, BMI; (iii) physical wellbeing, PCa specific adverse effects, depression; (iv) exercise levels; and (v) masculine self-esteem.

Results:

Participants with superior mental wellbeing were older, in a relationship, received post-high school education, longer time since diagnosis, had a lower BMI, less PCa treatment-related adverse effects and higher levels of masculine self-esteem (p<0.05). The most important predictors of mental wellbeing were masculine self-esteem, physical wellbeing and depression risk factors (p=0.001).

Conclusions:

Men can find it personally challenging to engage in health help-seeking and navigate services when it comes to their mental health. This research suggests that masculine self-esteem is a significant factor contributing to the psychological health of men with PCa. As such, supportive care services that are linked to masculine values and affirm masculine self-esteem may promote mental wellbeing in men with PCa.