The present research tested the proposition that nostalgia serves an existential function by bolstering a sense of meaning in life. Study 1 found that nostalgia was positively associated with a sense of meaning in life. Study 2 experimentally demonstrated that nostalgia increases a sense of meaning in life. In both studies, the link between nostalgia and increased meaning in life was mediated by feelings of social connectedness. Study 3 evidenced that threatened meaning increases nostalgia. Study 4 illustrated that nostalgia, in turn, reduces defensiveness following a meaning threat. Finally, Studies 5 and 6 showed that nostalgia disrupts the link between meaning deficits and compromised psychological well-being. Collectively, these findings indicate that the provision of existential meaning is a pivotal function of nostalgia.

The aim of this study was to review the literature on quality of life among long-term survivors of breast cancer and identify the specific aspects of quality of life that were affected in these survivors. We also describe predictors of quality of life. Published research reports were included if they described the quality of life of breast cancer survivors diagnosed at least five years earlier. The methodological quality of the 10 selected studies, conducted between 1997 and 2004, was high according to a list of predefined criteria. Most studies reported that long-term survivors of breast cancer experienced good overall quality of life. However, almost all studies reported that breast cancer survivors experienced some specific problems (e.g., a thick and painful arm and problems with sexual functioning). The current medical condition, amount of social support and current income level were strong positive predictors of quality of life, and the use of adjuvant chemotherapy emerged as a negative predictor. More research on the specific medical and psychosocial needs of survivors is needed in order to be able to design appropriate intervention studies. If anything, this review shows that focusing on the long-term effects of breast cancer is important when evaluating the full extent of cancer treatment.

'Patient Reported Outcomes Following Initial treatment and Long term Evaluation of Survivorship (PROFILES)' is a registry for the study of the physical and psychosocial impact of cancer and its treatment from a dynamic, growing population-based cohort of both short and long-term cancer survivors. PROFILES contains a large web-based component and are linked directly to clinical data from the population-based Eindhoven cancer registry. This paper describes the rationale and design of PROFILES. The primary aims of studies that use the PROFILES registry are: (1) psychosocial risk and outcome assessment to identify patients at high risk for poor physical and mental health outcomes, (2) to analyse mediating mechanisms to better understand the biological and behavioural factors associated with cancer treatment outcomes, and (3) to evaluate physical and psychosocial care needs of cancer survivors. PROFILES is a tool that enables data collection management; from inviting patients to participation in studies, to collecting patient-reported outcomes data via web-based or mailed questionnaires and linking these data with clinical data. The availability of a control cohort of approximately 2000 persons from the general population who complete the same basic questionnaire annually will provide the opportunity to estimate the unique impact of cancer, beyond that of normal ageing and comorbidities. Raw data from the PROFILES registry will be available for non-commercial scientific research, subject to study question, privacy and confidentiality restrictions, and registration (www.profilesregistry.nl).

This paper reviews psychological research within the context of in vitro fertilization (IVF). The focus will be on psychological reactions before entering an IVF-procedure, during an IVF-treatment, and after both unsuccessful and successful IVF. The effects of psychosocial factors on the treatment outcome after IVF and interventions on conception rates will also be discussed. Undergoing an IVF-treatment is an emotional and physical burden, for both the woman and her partner. Research results suggest that couples entering an IVF-treatment program are, in general, psychologically well adjusted. Concerning reactions during the treatment, both women and men experience waiting for the outcome of the IVF-treatment and an unsuccessful IVF. as most stressful. Common reactions during IVF are anxiety and depression, while after an unsuccessful IVF, feelings of sadness, depression and anger prevail. After a successful IVF-treatment, IVF-parents experience more stress during pregnancy than 'normal fertile' parents. Mothers with children conceived by IVF express a higher quality of parent child relationship than mothers with a naturally conceived child. Research further suggests that psychosocial factors, like ineffective coping strategies, anxiety and/or depression are associated with a lower pregnancy rate following IVF-procedures. In addition, support has been found suggesting that stress reduction through relaxation training or behavioral treatment improves conception rates.

In light of its role in maintaining psychological equanimity, we proposed that nostalgia--a self-relevant, social, and predominantly positive emotion--regulates avoidance and approach motivation. We advanced a model in which (a) avoidance motivation triggers nostalgia and (b) nostalgia, in turn, increases approach motivation. As a result, nostalgia counteracts the negative impact of avoidance motivation on approach motivation. Five methodologically diverse studies supported this regulatory model. Study 1 used a cross-sectional design and showed that avoidance motivation was positively associated with nostalgia. Nostalgia, in turn, was positively associated with approach motivation. In Study 2, an experimental induction of avoidance motivation increased nostalgia. Nostalgia then predicted increased approach motivation. Studies 3-5 tested the causal effect of nostalgia on approach motivation and behavior. These studies demonstrated that experimental nostalgia inductions strengthened approach motivation (Study 3) and approach behavior as manifested in reduced seating distance (Study 4) and increased helping (Study 5). The findings shed light on nostalgia's role in regulating the human motivation system.