What Factors Affect the Insomnia Symptom Trajectories in Women With Nonmetastatic Breast Cancer

Abstract Objectives This study sought to identify the trajectories of insomnia symptoms in Chinese women with nonmetastatic breast cancer and further determine the effects of sociodemographic, disease, and psychological variables on different insomnia symptoms. Methods A total of 287 female breast cancer patients were recruited to complete measures of cognitive emotion regulation strategies, perceived social support, and insomnia symptoms at six time points from the week after diagnosis to four months after surgery. Results Four distinct classes of insomnia symptom trajectories were identified using growth mixture modeling and were named low sustained class ( n  = 128, 44.60%), high sustained class ( n  = 33, 11.50%), moderate sustained class ( n  = 64, 22.30%), and decreasing class ( n  = 62, 21.60%). Patients in these trajectory classes differed in demographic characteristics (age, education, employment, and monthly income), pathologic stage, and psychological characteristics (perceived social support and cognitive emotion regulation strategies). Patients with less than nine years of education (adjusted odds ratio = 2.61–4.10) or higher levels of self-blame (adjusted odds ratio = 1.80–2.14) are most likely to belong to the high sustained, moderate sustained, and decreasing classes. Conclusion Four latent trajectories may be a reliable and valuable approach in analyzing insomnia symptoms in breast cancer patients. Heterogeneity should be considered to allow more attention to be paid on patients in high and moderate sustained class. Education and cognitive emotion regulation strategies are important factors for the onset and development of insomnia symptoms.