Introduction:

A wide range of breast cancer survivors face physical, psychological and social difficulties derived from the disease and treatments, which can be stressful and generate unpleasant emotions.

Objective:

Describe the main sources and experiences of stress, evaluate emotional states (anxiety and depression) and identify strategies for coping with the disease.

Methods:

Under a quantitative paradigm, the research followed a non-experimental design with a descriptive, transversal study. Thirty survivors of breast cancer selected intentionally participated in the "Chiqui Gómez Lubián" University Polyclinic, Santa Clara municipality, during the first trimester of 2016. The following tests were used: Coverage mode scale, psychological interview, Inventory of Situations and Responses of Anxiety, and Test of Zung and Count.

Results:

The main sources of stress were: illness, interruption of family projects, fear of recurrence and everyday situations. Depression is present in 60 % of the sample, prevailing a style of coping focused on emotion, being the strategy most used self-control.

Conclusions:

The sources of stress faced by the women studied influence the appearance of unpleasure emotional experiences, predominantly moderate depressive symptoms, associated with the meaning of loss attributed to the disease. Predominance coping with the illness centered on emotion. If they stay in time, these situations will affect their well-being and quality of life. It is recommended to extend this type of study to a greater number of individuals that allow establishing regularities for the population.

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