Illness perception clusters at diagnosis predict psychological distress among women with breast cancer at 6 months post diagnosis

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the extent to which illness perceptions and coping strategies among women diagnosed with breast cancer explain psychological distress at diagnosis and at six months post-diagnosis relative to demographic and illness-related variables. Methods: Women were recruited to the study shortly after diagnosis. A total of 90 women completed study materials (Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised, the Cancer Coping Questionnaire and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) at time 1. The same questionnaires were sent approximately six months later to those who had consented at time 1, and completed questionnaires were returned by 72 women. Results: Cluster analysis was used to identify groups of respondents who reported a similar profile of illness perception scores. Regression analysis demonstrated that one of these clusters was more likely to experience psychological distress than the other both at diagnosis and at six months post-diagnosis. Illness perceptions cluster membership and positive focus type coping were the most important and consistent predictors of lower psychological distress at diagnosis and at six months postdiagnosis. Conclusions: Illness perceptions remained relatively stable over the study period, and therefore we are unable to clarify whether changes in illness cognitions are associated with a corresponding change in psychological symptoms. Future research should evaluate the impact on psychological distress of interventions specifically designed to modify illness cognitions among women with breast cancer.

Psychological stress and coping in recently discharged postsurgical cancer patients

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Life satisfaction post stroke: The role of illness cognitions

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The relation of illness perceptions to stress, depression, and fatigue in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

“…Specifically, timeline, identity, consequences, and attributing psychological causes for the illness predicted both stress and depressive symptoms, with treatment control and coherence also accounting for a significant proportion of the variance in stress. Additional studies have linked dimensions of emotional representation, consequences, control, identity, and timeline to depressive symptoms (Gray et al, 2015; McCorry et al, 2013; Silva, Moreira, & Canavarro, 2012; Dempster et al, 2011). Finally, despite the common occurrence of cancer-related fatigue, we were able to locate only one study documenting its relation to illness perceptions.…”