Long-term effects of goal disturbance and adjustment on well-being in cancer patients

Abstract

PurposeTo investigate the impact of personal goal disturbance after cancer diagnosis on well-being over time, and a possible moderating role of goal adjustment tendencies and actual goal adjustment strategies.MethodsParticipants (n = 186) were interviewed three times: within a month, 7 months (treatment period), and 18 months (follow-up period) after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Participants were asked to freely mention three to ten personal goals. Goal disturbance was assessed by the patients’ ratings of the amount of hindrance experienced in goal achievement. Goal adjustment tendencies were assessed using the Goal Disengagement and Re-engagement Scale and actual goal adjustment (i.e. goal flexibility) by the number of goal adjustment strategies used. Outcome measures were overall quality of life and emotional functioning, assessed with the cancer-specific EORTC QLQ-C30.ResultsHierarchical regression analyses showed that goal disturbance predicted well-being over both the treatment and the follow-up period. Additionally, the negative effect of goal disturbance on well-being was less for patients who scored higher on goal disengagement and not significant for patients who were more flexible in their use of actual goal adjustment strategies.ConclusionsThe present study is the first to test the theoretical assumption that goal adjustment is beneficial after goal disturbance. Whereas these findings need to be confirmed in future research, the possibly beneficial role of goal disengagement and actual goal adjustment strategies can be used for psychological interventions.

Clinically distinct trajectories of fatigue and their longitudinal relationship with the disturbance of personal goals following a cancer diagnosis

“…Available data were part of a larger study on goal adjustment in patients with cancer (Janse, Fleer, Smink, Sprangers, & Ranchor, ; Janse, Ranchor et al ., ; Janse, Ranchor, Smink, Sprangers, & Fleer, ; Janse, Sprangers et al ., ; Janse, van Faassen et al ., ). Newly diagnosed patients with colorectal cancer were recruited at four hospitals in the Netherlands.…”

“…Abstract goals are assumed to be most important to a person as they are closely related to an individual's core values and identity (Austin et al ., ; Wrosch et al ., ). Like fatigue, goal disturbance seems to improve in patients with cancer over time (Janse, Ranchor, Smink, Sprangers, & Fleer, ; Janse, Sprangers, Ranchor, & Fleer, ; Pinquart, Fröhlich, & Silbereisen, ; Stefanic et al ., ), but insights into its distinct developments, particularly the disturbance of concrete versus abstract goals, are lacking but needed to increase our knowledge of how patients’ goals are differently affected by cancer over time.…”

Goal disturbance changes pre/post‐renal transplantation are related to changes in distress

“…It has been demonstrated that having a severe medical condition is associated with disturbances in the attainment of personal goals (Boersma, Maes, & Joekes, ; Stefanic, Caputi, & Iverson, ). Such disturbances due to illness have been related to lower quality of life and higher levels of distress (Boersma, Maes, & van Elderen, ; Janse, Sprangers, Ranchor, & Fleer, ; Offerman, Schroevers, van der Velden, de Boer, & Pruyn, ; van der Veek, Kraaij, van Koppen, Garnefski, & Joekes, ). Moreover, it has been suggested that the more the disturbed goals are considered important, the greater the impact on well‐being (Carver & Scheier, ).…”

Impaired Mood in Headache Clinic Patients: Associations With the Perceived Hindrance and Attainability of Personal Goals

“…Yet, physical symptoms or limitations may interfere with the pursuit of personal goals, which heightens the risk of mood disturbances. Indeed, it has been found that patients with an illness or disability perceive their goals as less attainable and/or more hindered by their physical condition and these goal perceptions are related to impaired mood …”

“…Indeed, it has been found that patients with an illness or disability perceive their goals as less attainable and/or more hindered by their physical condition and these goal perceptions are related to impaired mood. [21][22][23][24][25] The high level of disability found in patients presenting to headache clinics 11,26 suggests that these patients may experience significant impediments to goal pursuit. Hence, negative goal perceptions may act as a risk factor for impaired mood in the headache clinic population.…”