Abstract
The current study explored distress and adjustment over time and a woman's ability to find benefit in her experience of breast cancer. Over 700 women were initially assessed at a pre-diagnostic visit to a breast clinic. Of those who were originally diagnosed, 39 women participated in all four study assessments, completed over a two-and-one-half-year period following diagnosis. Compared to non-benefit-finders, women who reported finding benefits in their breast cancer experienced high levels of distress pre-diagnostically, which significantly declined over time. Results of the current study suggest that a woman's distress prior to receiving her diagnosis of breast cancer may be related to her ability to find benefit during later stages of her illness.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 45-64 |
Number of pages | 20 |
Journal | Journal of Psychosocial Oncology |
Volume | 23 |
Issue number | 2-3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2005 |
Keywords
- Adjustment
- Benefit-finding
- Breast cancer
- Distress
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Oncology
- Applied Psychology
- Psychiatry and Mental health