Date of Conferral

3-30-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Psychology

Advisor

Chet Lesniak

Abstract

Breast cancer patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) are at a high risk of experiencing pain and fatigue, anxiety and substance use, poor quality of life, marital spouses with elevated depression, impaired sexual functioning, sleep disorders, poor immune system functioning, rapid progression of cancer, and higher mortality rates. Grounded in Fritz Heider’s attribution theory, the purpose of this quantitative quasi-experimental study was to examine the relationship between physical exercise and a decrease in MDD. The participants comprised of 15 female breast cancer patients, 18 years of age and older, who may have experienced depression. The participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory – II (BDI-II) and three months later completed a second BDI-II to determine if there was a decrease in their levels of depressive symptoms that might be attributed to their participation in physical activity or an exercise program. The results of a paired-samples t-test and two General Linear Model - Repeated Measures ANOVAs indicated that while there may be some interaction effect between depression levels and frequency in the first BDI-II assessment and the second BDI-II assessment, it did not reach conventional levels of statistical significance. Implications for positive social change included helping to produce healthier and happier people, helping individuals improve their overall quality of life, reducing mortality rates within this population, and decreasing the societal burden of healthcare costs that may be associated with MDD and breast cancer.

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