Perceptions of the Mother’s Role and Parent-child Relationship in Breast Cancer Women with Mastectomy and without Mastectomy Women

The mastectomy in addition to imposing cosmetic changes can cause deep effects on perception of people around, their roles and communications. The purpose of this study was to compare the perceptions of motherhood role and parent-child role in breast cancer female patients with mastectomy and without mastectomy women. In this qualitative study 26 breast cancer women with mastectomy who referred to Shohada-e-Tajrish hospital were chosen from available samples and they were compared to 26 healthy women regarding perceptions of the mother’s role and parent-child relationship using the Apperception Test which constructed by researcher. In overall analysis of findings, using difference of proportion method showed that there was a significant difference in positive perceptions of mother’s role and negative perception of mother’s role and vague perception of mother’s role in the two groups. The Qualitative analysis of 208 short stories adapted from apperception test findings showed that in relation to quality of perception of motherhood role, women with mastectomy were more emotionally involved with their children, they also had higher intellectual concerns about their children and had supportive role towards their children. In terms of the parent-child relationship two different aspects of relationship was seen. One was a dependant relationship and the other one was a relationship based on exclusion of children for not being dependant which was seen in women with mastectomy. It looks like women with mastectomy need to restore their perception and deal with their serious psychological needs. In interventions related to women with breast cancer it should be emphasized on attention to maintenance and improving the quality of role and communications of breast cancer women with mastectomy.