Table 3.

Financial Strain and Quality of Life in Breast Cancer

	Financial Strain Absent (n=193)		Financial Strain Present (n=116)
Quality of Life Measures	M	(SD)	M	(SD)	Standardized Mean Difference (Cohen’s d)	p
Sample 1 (N=55)	n=32		n=23
Emotional
Depression Symptom Severity (DASS)	2.81	(2.83)	5.35	(4.03)	0.77	.008
Anxiety Symptom Severity (DASS)	2.19	(2.75)	3.09	(2.56)	0.32	.253
Physical
Perceived Health (SF-1)	3.53	(1.08)	3.04	(0.77)	0.74	.011
Physical Symptom Burden (FACT-G)	1.08	(0.91)	1.61	(0.98)	0.50	.080
Sample 2 (N = 120)	n=84		n=36
Emotional
Depression Symptom Severity (PROMIS)	2.18	(2.81)	5.00	(3.93)	0.85	<.001
Physical
Perceived Health (SF-1)	3.54	(0.87)	2.97	(0.97)	0.50	.021
Physical Symptom Burden (FACT-G)	0.55	(0.65)	1.21	(0.94)	0.80	<.001
Sample 3 (N = 134)
Emotional	n=77		n=57
Depression Symptom Severity (PROMIS)	1.62	(2.80)	3.91	(3.84)	0.53	.004
Anxiety Symptom Severity (PROMIS)	2.57	(2.82)	5.49	(4.48)	0.59	.002
Physical
Perceived Health (SF-1)	3.49	(0.96)	2.81	(0.90)	0.56	.003
Physical Symptom Burden (FACT-G)	0.55	(0.65)	1.22	(0.94)	0.66	<.001

Note. DASS = Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (summated score for depression and anxiety computed from 7 items rated from 0–3) [22]. SF-1 = first item from the Short Form Health Survey (rated from 1–5) [26]. FACT-G = Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy - General (mean composite of 7 symptom items rated from 0–4) [27]. PROMIS = Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (summated score for depression and anxiety computed from 4 items rated from 0–4) [25]. Financial strain in each sample was assessed using a four-item checklist [3]. Means and standard deviations are unadjusted for covariates. The standardized mean difference and significant test control for age, education level, presence/absence of metastases, and time since diagnosis.