Mentalization and Its Relation to Life Satisfaction and the Level of Mental Adjustment to Illness in Women with Breast Cancer—A Pilot Study

Abstract

This study’s aim was assessing of the relationship between mentalization and life satisfaction and the level of adaptation to oncological disease in patients with breast cancer. The study involved 41 women (M = 59.88; SD = 8.81) with breast cancer who completed their treatments and participated in a cancer rehabilitation program. In the study, we used the Mentalization Questionnaire (MZQ), the Satisfaction Life Scale (SWLS), and the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC). The mean of declared level of mentalization was 45.54 (SD = 11.65). The significant correlation between mentalization (its general value and individual dimensions) and satisfaction with life/mental adjustment to cancer was observed. The strongest positive correlations were noted between refusing self-reflection, helplessness–hopelessness, and anxious preoccupation and the negative correlation between mentalization and satisfaction with life. Mentalization was a predictor of satisfaction with life and mental adjustment to illness. Mentalization was related with life satisfaction and adjustment to cancer in patients with breast cancer, which is in line with previous studies suggesting the crucial role of subjective psychological factors in maintaining mental health.

Total Pain and Fear of Recurrence in Post-Treatment Cancer Patients: Serial Mediation of Psychological Flexibility and Mentalization and Gender Moderation

“…These findings highlight the role of personal abilities based on motivational and cognitive states as potential mechanisms underlying the association between cancer-related total pain and FCR. They are consistent with previous studies that have shown the conceptual utility of psychological flexibility and mentalization in cancer patients [21,22]. The findings were also found to be in accordance with the mediating role of psychological flexibility in the association between pain intensity and depression in non-cancer patients [25], as well as of mentalization in the association between distress and mental health symptoms in patients with psychosomatic problems [28].…”

“…There is empirical evidence suggesting that the relationship between total pain and the fear of recurrence may be mediated by factors that enhance patients' psychological resilience and could facilitate a reinterpretation of the disease. Psychological flexibility and mentalization, whose functional utility in cancer patients has been validated [21,22], offer potentially promising results. Psychological flexibility, which reflects one's ability to remain in contact with thoughts and emotions during daily activities, was found to mediate the relationships between pain-related disability and life satisfaction among patients suffering from whiplash-associated disorder [23] and health conditions and emotional distress in a group of cancer survivors who were undergoing ACT-based therapy [24].…”

Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Irritable Bowel Syndrome: What Differences in Mentalization Abilities? A Scoping Review

“…These findings seem to suggest the non-specificity of mentalization impairment: the transdiagnostic character of this deficit has been largely confirmed by previous studies that have investigated it in mood and psychotic disorders [37][38][39][40], in other diseases such as borderline personality disorder [41][42][43], eating disorders [44,45], somatic symptoms disorder [46], and breast cancer [47]. This non-specificity of the deficit is also supported by Porcelli's assertions.…”

Perceived Social Support and its Relation with Mental Adjustment among Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer

“…Thoughts of death emerged from cancer in person awareness, resulting in feelings of pessimistic, powerlessness, and unhappiness. This can decrease one's capacity to manage, leading to important rising in the psychological meaning level and affecting various procedures of exploring the atmosphere and inner feeling condition practiced by women (25) . Social support also affects how patients adjust with cancer raising hopefulness, encouraging and enhancing positive coping skills.…”