Type of social support matters for prediction of posttraumatic growth among cancer survivors

Objective: Previous research in people with cancer on social support and psychological well-being has mainly focused on the short-term negative outcomes of adjustment. Little is known about the role of social support in the experience of positive outcomes in the long term. This study examined the relation between emotional support in the period following diagnosis and the experience of positive consequences of the illness, so called posttraumatic growth, at 8 years after diagnosis. We focused on three distinct types of emotional support: perceived availability, actual received, and dissatisfaction with received emotional support.Methods: This longitudinal study was conducted in a sample of 206 long-term cancer survivors. Social support was assessed with the Social Support List (SSL) at 3 months and 8 years after diagnosis. Positive consequences of the illness were assessed with the Silver Lining Questionnaire (SLQ) at 8 years after diagnosis. Correlation- and regression analyses were used to examine the associations of initial levels of emotional support with the long-term report of posttraumatic growth.Results: Regression analyses showed that more received emotional support at 3 months after diagnosis significantly predicted a greater experience of positive consequences of the illness at 8 years after diagnosis. This association remained significant, when controlling for concurrent levels of emotional support at 8 years after diagnosis.Conclusions: The findings suggest that getting support from family and friends, characterized by reassuring, comforting, and problem-solving, in the period following diagnosis is an important resource that may help cancer survivors to find positive meaning in the cancer experience. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Identification and prediction of distress trajectories in the first year after a breast cancer diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: In this article, we aim to (a) identify distinct trajectories of psychological distress in the first year after a breast cancer diagnosis in women treated with adjuvant therapy and (b) explore possible predictors of these trajectories, that is, demographic, medical, and personal characteristics. METHOD: The 171 patients were assessed after diagnosis, after surgery, after adjuvant treatment, in the reentry phase, and in the (short-term) survivorship phase (2 and 6 months after the end of treatment, respectively). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Psychological distress was assessed with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire. RESULTS: There were four trajectories of distress: a group that experienced no distress (36.3%), a group that experienced distress only in the active treatment phase (33.3%), a group that experienced distress in the reentry and survivorship phase (15.2%), and a group that experienced chronic distress (15.2%). Personality and physical complaints resulting from adjuvant treatment could distinguish the distress trajectories. Mastery was the only unique predictor. CONCLUSION: Most patients were not distressed in response to breast cancer or only temporarily so. Yet, a minority of patients became or remained distressed after the end of treatment

Personal control over the cure of breast cancer: adaptiveness, underlying beliefs and correlates

Objectives: Although cognitive adaptation theory suggests that personal control acts as a stress buffer when facing adversity, maladaptive outcomes might occur when control is disconfirmed. The moderating effect of disappointing news on the adaptiveness of personal control over cure in lumen with breast cancer was examined and contrasted with the effect on the adaptiveness of general control over life. Additionally, the underlying beliefs and correlates of control over cure were explored. Methods: Women with newly diagnosed breast cancer were assessed after surgery (n = 228). For a sub-sample (n = 133) data before surgery and after the end of treatment were available as well. Data were collected through questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The prescription of chemotherapy after surgery was used as an indicator of disappointing news. Results: A chemotherapy prescription neither enhances nor limits the adaptiveness of disease-specific or general control perceptions. Women reported that maintaining a positive attitude, accepting treatment and adopting a healthy life style gave them a sense of control over cure. Women with a strong sense of control over cure more often had invasive cancer, were younger and were best characterized by high optimism and strong sense of control over life. Conclusions: The findings add to our understanding of exaggerated control perceptions in cancer patients treated with curative intent and do not give reason to assume that such perceptions should be altered because of potentially maladaptive effects. On the contrary, a strong sense of control over the cure of breast cancer seems to reflect the capacity to adapt. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd