Breast Cancer and anxiety

What’s the project about?

People often feel anxious after being diagnosed with breast cancer. This anxiety can start at diagnosis, continue through treatment, and last for many years afterward. It can affect daily life and mental wellbeing.

People who care for someone with breast cancer – such as partners, family members or close friends – can also feel anxious and emotionally overwhelmed, both during treatment and long after it ends.

Even though anxiety is common for people affected by breast cancer, we still don’t know enough about their experiences or what kind of mental health support works best in the long run.

Some people continue to struggle years after diagnosis or treatment, often because of ongoing emotional, social, physical, or financial challenges, and because there is little long-term mental health support available.

This survey has been developed together with 2 people living beyond breast cancer. It aims to better understand how people living with or beyond breast cancer and caregivers in the UK experience anxiety, how it affects their lives, and what mental health support they have been offered. The findings will help shape a larger future study and support a funding application.

Who’s organising it?

Name of project lead: Helena Harder

Job title: Principal Research Fellow

Organisation: Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex

Email address: h.harder@sussex.ac.uk

Who can take part?

You can take part if you

• Have had a personal diagnosis of breast cancer, including DCIS, stages 1 to 3 primary breast cancer, a local or regional recurrence of primary breast cancer, or metastatic breast cancer
• Are a friend or family member of someone who’s had a breast cancer diagnosis

Why do you want me to be involved?

By taking part, you can help researchers better understand what support is available for people affected by breast cancer. This will inform future research, and hopefully lead to improvements in the support offered.

What will you ask me to do?

The researchers would like you to complete a short (5-10 minutes) online survey. It should take around 5 to 10 minutes to complete.

You’ll be asked questions about your, or your loved one’s, diagnosis & treatment, anxiety during and after treatment, and information provision and support.

How do I get involved?

There are 2 separate surveys, depending on your connection to breast cancer. If you’re living with or beyond breast cancer, please complete the personal diagnosis survey.

If you’re a friend or family member, please complete the loved ones survey.

If you have any questions, you can contact Helena at h.harder@sussex.ac.uk.

When’s the deadline?

15 September 2026