Course of distress in breast cancer patients, their partners, and matched control couples.

Journal article

BACKGROUND: Previous studies offer a limited perspective on the dynamic course of distress in cancer patients and their partners, owing to a restricted number of assessment points and the absence of comparison controls drawn from the general population. PURPOSE: This study investigated the course of distress among breast cancer patients and their partners (N = 92 couples) in comparison to matched control couples (N = 64). Furthermore, the influence of neuroticism on distress was investigated. METHOD: The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was administered nine times over a 12-month period, and neuroticism was assessed at the beginning of the study using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire. RESULTS: Multilevel analyses revealed that patients were more distressed during the first 15 months after diagnosis than nonpatients. A significant portion of the distress that could not be explained by the cancer experience was explained by neuroticism. CONCLUSION: Differences in distress between patients and comparison-control women are relatively small and decreased over time, while distress in male partners was not elevated in comparison to their controls.

Authors: Hinnen, C; Ranchor, A; Sanderman, R; Snijders, T; Hagedoorn, M

• Publication status: Published
• Journal: Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine
• Volume: 36
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 141-148
• Publication date: 2008-10-01
• DOI: 10.1007/s12160-008-9061-8
• EISSN: 1532-4796
• ISSN: 0883-6612
• Language: English
• Keywords: Stress, Psychological; Aged; Middle Aged; Humans; Social Support; Female; Time Factors; Life Change Events; Case-Control Studies; Reference Values; Adaptation, Psychological; Breast Neoplasms; Male; Spouses; Adult; Interpersonal Relations; Neurotic Disorders; Longitudinal Studies