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Kreitler S, Kreitler H. The psychological profile of the health‐oriented individual. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PERSONALITY 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/per.2410050104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
This study was designed to explore the psychological characteristics of individuals who score high on a measure assessing health orientation. The measure was constructed in the framework of the cognitive orientation theory and consists of beliefs of four types (about goals, rules and norms, oneself, and general) referring to themes such as trusting people, control, and enjoyment. The subjects were 176 healthy adults (88 men, 88 women) in the age range 31‐50 (M = 39.4 years) examined in the framework of a health survey. They were administered the Cognitive Orientation of Health Questionnaire and other measures assessing emotions, authoritarianism, locus of control, daydreaming, repressiveness, neuroticism, somatic complaints, somatization, and alexithymia. The main results obtained by ANOVA and multiple regression analyses were that high‐scorers on health orientation also scored higher on love, joy, contentment, hostility, jealousy (men only), emotional reactions, positive daydreams, internal control, repressiveness, neuroticism, functional‐actional self‐descriptions, and negative selfreferences. High‐scorers on health orientation scored lower on depression, anxiety, fear, jealousy (women only), negative daydreams, poor attentional control, somatic complaints, somatization, alexithymia, positive self‐references, and self‐descriptions that capitalize on body parts, weight, and appearance. The major conclusions refer to the conception of a psychological general health orientation and its manifestations.
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Clark JR, Nijs J, Yeowell G, Holmes P, Goodwin PC. Trait Sensitivity, Anxiety, and Personality Are Predictive of Central Sensitization Symptoms in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain. Pain Pract 2019; 19:800-810. [PMID: 31215742 DOI: 10.1111/papr.12809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2019] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sensitivity-related trait characteristics involving physical and emotional sensitivities and high trait anxiety personality types have been observed in individuals with nonspecific chronic low back pain (NSCLBP). High trait sensitivity to sensory stimulation combined with interpretation biases based on personality type may contribute to the development of central sensitization (CS) symptoms. To date, there is limited research that has considered both sensitivity levels and personality type in NSCLBP with CS. The purpose of this study was to investigate (1) relationships between trait sensory profiles, trait anxiety, and CS symptoms, and (2) the predictive capacity of sensory profiles, trait anxiety, and personality types on CS symptoms in people with NSCLBP. METHODS This was a cross-sectional observational study using 4 self-report measures on adults (N = 165, mean age = 45 ± 12 [standard deviation] years) from physiotherapy clinics in England, Ireland, and New Zealand. Inclusion: NSCLBP > 6 months, age 18 to 64 years, predominant CS pain presentation, no other pathology. Parametric and nonparametric correlation statistics and regression analyses were used. RESULTS Positive correlations were found between central sensitization inventory (CSI) scores and sensory hypersensitivity profiles and trait anxiety. CSI score increases could be predicted by sensory-sensitive, low-registration profiles; trait anxiety scores; and extreme defensive high anxious personality type. CONCLUSIONS Trait sensory hyper- and/or hyposensitivity and high trait anxiety-related personality type characteristics predict the extent of CS symptoms in people with NSCLBP. Further investigation is required to establish causality between these characteristics and CS symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqui R Clark
- Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, U.K.,Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Pain in Motion International Research Group, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Jo Nijs
- Department of Physiotherapy, Human Physiology and Anatomy, Faculty of Physical Education & Physiotherapy, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Pain in Motion International Research Group, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gillian Yeowell
- Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, U.K
| | - Paul Holmes
- Musculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine Research Centre, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, U.K
| | - Peter C Goodwin
- Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, U.K
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Meyer CS, Schreiner PJ, Lim K, Battapady H, Launer LJ. Depressive Symptomatology, Racial Discrimination Experience, and Brain Tissue Volumes Observed on Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Am J Epidemiol 2019; 188:656-663. [PMID: 30657841 PMCID: PMC6438808 DOI: 10.1093/aje/kwy282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2018] [Revised: 12/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Not much is known about brain structural change in younger populations and minorities. The cross-sectional relationship between depressive symptomatology and racial discrimination with structural measures of brain tissue volume was investigated using magnetic resonance images of 710 participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults CARDIA Study in 2010. Those reporting depressive symptoms and racial discrimination had lower total brain matter volume compared with those who reported neither (-8.8 mL, 95% confidence interval (CI): -16.4, -1.2), those who reported depressive symptoms only (-10.9 mL, 95% CI: -20.4, -1.4), and those who reported racial discrimination only (-8.6 mL, 95% CI: -16.5, -0.8). Results were similar for total normal white matter. There were 103% higher odds (odds ratio = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.32, 3.14) of being in the highest quartile of white matter hyperintensities in those with depressive symptoms only compared to those without. Although tests for interaction by race were not statistically significant, sensitivity analyses stratified by race revealed inverse associations with total brain matter and total white matter volumes only among black participants with combined depressive symptomatology and experience of racial discrimination, and positive associations only among white participants with depressive symptoms with presence of white matter hyperintensities, suggesting future studies may focus on race.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig S Meyer
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Pamela J Schreiner
- Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota
| | - Kelvin Lim
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minnesota
| | - Harsha Battapady
- University of Pennsylvania Health System, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Lenore J Launer
- the Neuroepidemiology Section, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Montes-Nogueira I, Campos-Uscanga Y, Gutiérrez-Ospina G, Hernández-Pozo MDR, Larralde C, Romo-González T. Psychological Features of Breast Cancer in Mexican Women II: The Psychological Network. ADVANCES IN NEUROIMMUNE BIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.3233/nib-170125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Iván Montes-Nogueira
- Área de Biología y Salud Integral, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
- Doctorado en Psicología, Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
| | | | - Gabriel Gutiérrez-Ospina
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Fisiología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Coordinación de Psicobiología, Facultad de Psicología Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | | | - Carlos Larralde
- Departamento de Inmunología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico
| | - Tania Romo-González
- Área de Biología y Salud Integral, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
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Demirtepe-Saygılı D, Bozo Ö. Affective experiences of the parents of children with cancer: A qualitative study. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-018-9905-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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6
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Aydin E. Trauma and Resilience in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: A Transactional Analysis Perspective. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1177/036215370803800407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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7
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Renzi C, Perinel G, Arnaboldi P, Gandini S, Vadilonga V, Rotmensz N, Tagini A, Didier F, Pravettoni G. Memories of paternal relations are associated with coping and defense mechanisms in breast cancer patients: an observational study. BMC Psychol 2017; 5:37. [PMID: 29122005 PMCID: PMC5679357 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-017-0206-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 10/30/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment represent stressful events that demand emotional adjustment, thus recruiting coping strategies and defense mechanisms. As parental relations were shown to influence emotion regulation patterns and adaptive processes in adulthood, the present study investigated whether they are specifically associated to coping and defense mechanisms in patients with breast cancer. METHODS One hundred and ten women hospitalized for breast cancer surgery were administered questionnaires assessing coping with cancer, defense mechanisms, and memories of parental bonding in childhood. RESULTS High levels of paternal overprotection were associated with less mature defenses, withdrawal and fantasy and less adaptive coping mechanisms, such as hopelessness/helplessness. Low levels of paternal care were associated with a greater use of repression. No association was found between maternal care, overprotection, coping and defense mechanisms. Immature defenses correlated positively with less adaptive coping styles, while mature defenses were positively associated to a fighting spirit and to fatalism, and inversely related to less adaptive coping styles. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that paternal relations in childhood are associated with emotional, cognitive, and behavioral regulation in adjusting to cancer immediately after surgery. Early experiences of bonding may constitute a relevant index for adaptation to cancer, indicating which patients are at risk and should be considered for psychological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Renzi
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy.
| | - Giada Perinel
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Arnaboldi
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Sara Gandini
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Valeria Vadilonga
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Nicole Rotmensz
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Angela Tagini
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Piazza dell'Ateneo Nuovo 1, Milan, Italy
| | - Florence Didier
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy
| | - Gabriella Pravettoni
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Via Ripamonti 435, 20141, Milan, Italy.,Department of Oncology and Onco-Hematology, University of Milano, Via Festa del Perdono 7, Milan, Italy
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Silverman-Dresner T, Restaino-Baumann L. Comparison of Symptom Profiles between Postmastectomy Patients and Normally Healthy Middle-Aged Women. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.2190/x2xm-ewu9-g4vv-cxcp] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The symptom profiles of eighty-five women with no history of mastectomy or breast cancer were compared to those of seventy-three mastectomy patients in self-help groups, fifty mastectomy patients who had undergone breast reconstruction and 166 mastectomy patients who were neither in self-help nor reconstructed. There were no significant differences on the major symptom scales of the SCL-90 between any of the groups. The authors conclude that women distant in time from the cancer experience are no different from their normally healthy peers.
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Zhiyan T, Singer JL. Daydreaming Styles, Emotionality and the Big Five Personality Dimensions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.2190/ateh-96ev-exyx-2adb] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
This study examined the relationships between measures of personality (the NEO-FFI), Emotionality (Positive and Negative), and Daydreaming (the Short Imaginal Processes Inventory) to assess hypotheses about private experience, behavioral and affective tendencies. A sample of 103 young adults completed questionnaires and results were analyzed by correlations and principle components factor analysis. As predicted Positive-Constructive Daydreaming was positively correlated with the NEO “Big Five” dimension of Openness, Guilty-Dysphoric Daydreaming loaded with both the NEO Neuroticism scale and the Negative Emotionality measure. Poor Attentional Control of the SIPI was linked negatively with Conscientiousness and Positive Emotionality. Our results further suggest that Extraversion may be primarily social as measured in the NEO while a separate Thinking Introversion-Extraversion dimension in the sense used by Jung and Guilford may be reflected by the personality-daydreaming results we obtained.
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Bonanno GA. Sampling Conscious Thought: Influences of Repression—Sensitization and Reporting Conditions. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016. [DOI: 10.2190/7v4n-5ky5-um40-45qm] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Because of growing evidence that persons classified psychometrically as repressors may be at risk in terms of physical as well as mental health this study explored the ongoing thought processes of repressors, true low anxious, and high anxious individuals. A combination of high and low scores on manifest anxiety and defensiveness scales served to identify the three groups. It was hypothesized that thought samples of individuals in the three groups would reflect a bipolar repression-sensitization continuum. To investigate the possible influence of impression-management, approximately equal members of males and females ( N-32) were assigned to two between-Ss reporting conditions designed to yield expectations of safety (Anonymity) or fear of public evaluation (Disclosure-threat). Content analyses of thought reports by trained judges revealed that thoughts in the Disclosure-threat condition were more emotional, more concerned with others, involved less fantasy, and were reported as being more difficult to control. The three personality categories did not produce significant main effects on thought quality, but did interact with the reporting conditions. Analyses of simple one-way effects for each personality category independently indicated that the high anxious participants had more emotional and difficult to control thoughts in the Disclosure-threat condition, while the repressor and low anxious participants showed no differences. The possible implications of these results in distinguishing competing explanations of the repression-sensitization phenomenon are discussed.
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Marchetti I, Koster EH, Klinger E, Alloy LB. Spontaneous Thought and Vulnerability to Mood Disorders: The Dark Side of the Wandering Mind. Clin Psychol Sci 2016; 4:835-857. [PMID: 28785510 PMCID: PMC5544025 DOI: 10.1177/2167702615622383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing interest in spontaneous thought, namely task-unrelated or rest-related mental activity. Spontaneous thought is an umbrella term for processes like mindwandering, involuntary autobiographical memory, and daydreaming, with evidence elucidating adaptive and maladaptive consequences. In this theoretical framework, we propose that, apart from its positive functions, spontaneous thought is a precursor for cognitive vulnerability in individuals who are at-risk for mood disorders. Importantly, spontaneous thought mostly focuses on unattained goals and evaluates the discrepancy between current and desired status (Klinger, 1971, 2013a). In individuals who stably (i.e., trait negative affectivity) or transitorily (i.e., stress) experience negative emotions in reaction to goal-discrepancy, spontaneous thought fosters major cognitive vulnerabilities (e.g., rumination, hopelessness, low self-esteem, and cognitive reactivity) which, in turn, enhance depression. Furthermore, we also highlight preliminary links between spontaneous thought and bipolar disorder. The evidence for this framework is reviewed and we discuss theoretical and clinical implications of our proposal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Igor Marchetti
- Ghent University, Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Ernst H.W. Koster
- Ghent University, Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, Ghent, B-9000, Belgium
| | - Eric Klinger
- University of Minnesota, Morris, Psychology Discipline, Division of Social Sciences, Morris, MN 56267, USA
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Temple University, Department of Psychology, Weiss Hall, 1701 N. 13th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
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Ybema JF, Kuijer RG, Buunk BP, DeJong GM, Sanderman R. Depression and Perceptions of Inequity among Couples Facing Cancer. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2016. [DOI: 10.1177/0146167201271001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In the present study, symptoms of nonclinical depression among 106 cancer patients and their intimate partners were assessed. From the perspective of equity theory, it was examined how depression was related to neuroticism, marital quality, and perceptions of inequity in the relationship. LISREL analyses showed that neuroticism and perceptions of inequity in the relationship were associated with higher depression, but differences were found between patients and partners in the way that inequity and depression were related. Cancer patients reported more symptoms of depression when they felt that they invested too little in the relationship, whereas their partners were higher in depression when they felt that they received too little benefits in the relationship. The findings are discussed in terms of structural differences in roles between patients and caregiving partners.
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Quinn ME, Martin P. Intra-individual Change and Inter-individual Differences in Negative Mood States of Older Women. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/016502599383757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The primary purpose of this exploratory study was to examine the stability and lability of negative mood from a health perspective. Negative mood factor structure was examined in order to evaluate intra-individual change. Few studies have addressed factorial invariance across individuals and across time. The sample was comprised of four women in their 60s and four women in their 80s. Short-term intra-individual change and inter-individual differences in negative mood were assessed with a replicated single-subject design. Participants completed items from the 8SQ questionnaire for 100 consecutive days. P-technique factor analysis was used to examine the structure of negative mood factors, which were than graphed to determine level change over time. The number of factors were consistent, however, the items comprising the factors were not consistent across all participants. Patterns of intra-individual change in the negative mood factor of “ fatigue” was found to be highly individualised.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Peter Martin
- Iowa State University, USA and University of Heidelberg, Germany
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14
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The Effect of Optimism on Psychological Well-Being: Stress Coping Strategies as a Mediating Variable. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.15703/kjc.14.6.201312.3739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Mindfulness increases recall of self-threatening information. Conscious Cogn 2013; 22:1375-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2013.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Revised: 09/02/2013] [Accepted: 09/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Cipher DJ, Clifford PA. Treatment outcome varies with coping style in chronic pain management. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1163/156856903321196474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Tamagawa R, Giese-Davis J, Speca M, Doll R, Stephen J, Carlson LE. Trait mindfulness, repression, suppression, and self-reported mood and stress symptoms among women with breast cancer. J Clin Psychol 2012; 69:264-77. [PMID: 23280695 DOI: 10.1002/jclp.21939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study sought to identify relationships between trait mindfulness, repressive, and suppressive emotional styles, and the relative importance of these traits in their association with self-reported psychological health among women with breast cancer. METHOD Of the 277 women with breast cancer accrued in the study, 227 (81.9%) completed a set of questionnaires assessing personality traits, stress symptoms, and mood. RESULTS High levels of mindfulness were associated with fewer stress-related symptoms and less mood disturbance, while high levels of suppression were associated with poorer self-reported health. CONCLUSION Individuals' dispositional ways to manage negative emotions were associated with the experience of symptoms and aversive moods. Helping patients cultivate mindful insights and reduce deliberate emotional inhibition may be a useful focus for psycho-oncological interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rie Tamagawa
- University of Calgary, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Alberta, Canada.
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Tamagawa R, Moss-Morris R, Martin A, Robinson E, Booth RJ. Dispositional emotion coping styles and physiological responses to expressive writing. Br J Health Psychol 2012; 18:574-92. [DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2011] [Accepted: 09/26/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rie Tamagawa
- Department of Psychological Medicine; The University of Auckland; New Zealand
| | - Rona Moss-Morris
- Health Psychology Section; Institute of Psychiatry; King's College of London; UK
| | - Alexandra Martin
- Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy Faculty of Educational and Social Sciences; University of Wuppertal; Germany
| | | | - Roger J. Booth
- Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology; The University of Auckland; New Zealand
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Which symptoms matter? Self-report and observer discrepancies in repressors and high-anxious women with metastatic breast cancer. J Behav Med 2012; 37:22-36. [PMID: 23085787 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-012-9461-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2011] [Accepted: 10/05/2012] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Clinicians working with cancer patients listen to them, observe their behavior, and monitor their physiology. How do we proceed when these indicators do not align? Under self-relevant stress, non-cancer repressors respond with high arousal but report low anxiety; the high-anxious report high anxiety but often have lower arousal. This study extends discrepancy research on repressors and the high-anxious to a metastatic breast cancer sample and examines physician rating of coping. Before and during a Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), we assessed affect, autonomic reactivity, and observers coded emotional expression from TSST videotapes. We compared non-extreme (N = 40), low-anxious (N = 16), high-anxious (N = 19), and repressors (N = 19). Despite reported low anxiety, repressors expressed significantly greater Tension or anxiety cues. Despite reported high anxiety, the high-anxious expressed significantly greater Hostile Affect rather than Tension. Physicians rated both groups as coping significantly better than others. Future research might productively study physician-patient interaction in these groups.
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20
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Chan R. The effect of acceptance on health outcomes in patients with chronic kidney disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant 2012; 28:11-4. [DOI: 10.1093/ndt/gfs334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Grandi S, Sirri L, Wise TN, Tossani E, Fava GA. Kellner's emotional inhibition scale: a clinimetric approach to alexithymia research. PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS 2012; 80:335-44. [PMID: 21829045 DOI: 10.1159/000328576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2010] [Accepted: 04/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotional inhibition has been an enduring concept in the psychosomatic literature explaining the onset and course of medical disorders. Currently the personality style of alexithymia is a focus of this dimension in psychosomatic theory, while actual conscious emotional inhibition, which may overlap with alexithymia, has received less attention. In the early 80s Robert Kellner developed the Emotional Inhibition Scale (EIS), a self-rating scale for emotional inhibition based on clinimetric principles. In this study we explored whether the EIS differentiated a sample of cardiac recipients from normal controls, as well as the associations between the EIS and 2 measures of alexithymia, i.e. the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) and the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR). We also examined whether the EIS and the TAS-20 were differently related to depressive symptoms measured by the Symptom Questionnaire (SQ). METHODS Ninety-five heart-transplanted patients and a sample of normal controls, matched for sociodemographic variables, were administered the EIS (total score and 4 subscales concerning 'verbal inhibition', 'timidity', 'disguise of feelings', and 'self-control'), the TAS-20, the SQ, and the Structured Interview according to the DCPR for alexithymia. RESULTS Cardiac recipients did not display significant differences compared to normal controls in observer (DCPR) and self-rated (TAS-20) measures of alexithymia. There were, however, significant differences in EIS with regard to 'disguise of feelings'. In both groups the EIS 'verbal inhibition' and 'timidity' subscales were positively associated with the TAS-20, while the EIS 'disguise of feelings' and 'self-control' subscales were independent of alexithymia. Depressive symptoms were more related to TAS-20 than EIS total scores. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that emotional inhibition and alexithymia are distinct phenomena even though they may share certain features. The EIS appears to be relatively independent of depressed mood and will be useful in assessing the individual's conscious management of affect in future psychosomatic research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvana Grandi
- Laboratory of Psychosomatics and Clinimetrics, Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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González-Freire B, Vázquez-Rodríguez I, Marcos-Velázquez P, de la Cuesta CG. Repression and coping styles in asthmatic patients. J Clin Psychol Med Settings 2011; 17:220-9. [PMID: 20508976 DOI: 10.1007/s10880-010-9198-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to (a) determine prevalence of the dispositional repressive coping style as well as other situational coping styles in a sample of asthmatic patients and (b) to analyze the capacity of these styles to predict subsequent morbidity (emergency room visits or hospitalizations due to asthma) during a 12-month follow-up. A sample of 75 adult asthmatic patients was selected and information about sociodemographics, asthma severity, and patient's perception of illness severity was collected. Repressive coping style was defined by a combination of scores obtained on the Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Coping styles were assessed with the dispositional version of the Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory. Eighteen patients (24%) were classified as repressors. Repressor asthmatics obtained scores significantly lower on Emotion-Focused Coping compared to non-repressors (F ((1,72)) = 5.15, p = .026). Patients who perceived their asthma as severe reported to use Emotion-Focused Coping more than those who judged it as mild or moderate (F ((2,71)) = 4.83, p = .011). A higher use of Denial (an Emotion-Focused strategy of coping) explained 8% of variance of the frequency of emergency room visits during the 12-month follow-up. The prevalence of repressive coping style in the asthmatic population is similar to that registered in other populations of chronic patients, and it is also associated with the tendency to report a lower use of strategies traditionally considered as maladaptive. The use of Emotion-Focused Coping strategies seems to be related to a worse perception of the physical status, and among this group of strategies, Denial also could favor a poor clinical course in bronchial asthma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatriz González-Freire
- Facultad de Psicología, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario Sur, 15782, Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
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Giese-Davis J, Collie K, Rancourt KMS, Neri E, Kraemer HC, Spiegel D. Decrease in depression symptoms is associated with longer survival in patients with metastatic breast cancer: a secondary analysis. J Clin Oncol 2010; 29:413-20. [PMID: 21149651 DOI: 10.1200/jco.2010.28.4455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 314] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Numerous studies have examined the comorbidity of depression with cancer, and some have indicated that depression may be associated with cancer progression or survival. However, few studies have assessed whether changes in depression symptoms are associated with survival. METHODS In a secondary analysis of a randomized trial of supportive-expressive group therapy, 125 women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC) completed a depression symptom measure (Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale [CES-D]) at baseline and were randomly assigned to a treatment group or to a control group that received educational materials. At baseline and three follow-up points, 101 of 125 women completed a depression symptom measure. We used these data in a Cox proportional hazards analysis to examine whether decreasing depression symptoms over the first year of the study (the length of the intervention) would be associated with longer survival. RESULTS Median survival time was 53.6 months for women with decreasing CES-D scores over 1 year and 25.1 months for women with increasing CES-D scores. There was a significant effect of change in CES-D over the first year on survival out to 14 years (P = .007) but no significant interaction between treatment condition and CES-D change on survival. Neither demographic nor medical variables explained this association. CONCLUSION Decreasing depression symptoms over the first year were associated with longer subsequent survival for women with MBC in this sample. Further research is necessary to confirm this hypothesis in other samples, and causation cannot be assumed based on this analysis.
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Myers LB. The Attributional Style of Repressive Individuals. The Journal of Social Psychology 2010; 136:127-8. [DOI: 10.1080/00224545.1996.9923038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Fritz GK, Spirito A, Yeung A. Utility of the repressive defensive style construct in childhood. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.1207/s15374424jccp2303_8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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Karademas EC, Hondronikola I. The impact of illness acceptance and helplessness to subjective health, and their stability over time: A prospective study in a sample of cardiac patients. PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2010; 15:336-46. [DOI: 10.1080/13548501003668265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Myers LB. The importance of the repressive coping style: findings from 30 years of research. ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING 2010; 23:3-17. [PMID: 19859847 DOI: 10.1080/10615800903366945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
During the last three decades there has been substantial research exploring the repressive coping style as defined by Weinberger, Schwartz, and Davidson. As "repressors," who score low on trait anxiety and high on defensiveness, account for up to 50% of certain populations, they are an essential group for psychologists to study. However, there are methodological issues in identifying repressors as well as considerable evidence that repressors avoid negative self-relevant information. Possible methods of addressing these difficulties are discussed in this review. Importantly, there is a body of evidence linking repressive coping and poor physical health, including heart disease and cancer. However, some preliminary findings suggest that repressors compared to non-repressors may be better at health behaviors that they perceive as under their personal control. This needs more extensive investigation as such behaviors are only one aspect of health and other factors may contribute to repressors' poor physical health. Possible future directions of research are discussed including: the need for systematic empirical research of a new theory of repressive coping--the Vigilance-Avoidance Theory--more longitudinal health studies, and an in-depth exploration of the physiological mechanisms which may underlie repressive coping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn B Myers
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, Brunel University, Uxbridge, Middlesex, UK.
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PEDERSEN ANETTEFISCHER, ZACHARIAE ROBERT. Cancer, acute stress disorder, and repressive coping. Scand J Psychol 2010; 51:84-91. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2009.00727.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Psychosocial factors, biological mediators, and cancer prognosis: a new look at an old story. Curr Opin Oncol 2008; 20:386-92. [PMID: 18525332 DOI: 10.1097/cco.0b013e3282fbcd0d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The present article briefly reviews the prognostic role of psychosocial factors in cancer and concentrates on biological markers that may mediate such relationships. We focus on specific markers that show promising mediating roles. RECENT FINDINGS The article reviews the prognostic role of psychosocial factors as shown in longitudinal studies and in previous reviews. We present the general stress response and its relevance to cancer progression. The main focus of the article is on the prognostic roles of specific biomarkers that had to meet three criteria for being accepted as biomarkers - being related to a psychosocial factor at the level of the brain, the circulation, and the tissue/cellular level. We review studies supporting the mediating roles of neurohormones and neurotransmitters (e.g., cortisol, norepinephrine), the vagal nerve and inflammation, interleukin-1, DNA damage, and the hormone oxytocin. SUMMARY These biomarkers may mediate the relationships between certain psychosocial factors (e.g., hopelessness, social support) and cancer progression. Future studies should test the effects of altering such biomarkers on the prognosis of patients scoring high/low on their associated psychosocial factors. Clinical implications that need to be tested are provided.
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Mehl-Madrona L. Narratives of Exceptional Survivors Who Work with Aboriginal Healers. J Altern Complement Med 2008; 14:497-504. [DOI: 10.1089/acm.2007.0578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis Mehl-Madrona
- Departments of Family Medicine and Psychiatry, University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine, Saskatoon, Canada
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Falagas ME, Zarkadoulia EA, Ioannidou EN, Peppas G, Christodoulou C, Rafailidis PI. The effect of psychosocial factors on breast cancer outcome: a systematic review. Breast Cancer Res 2008; 9:R44. [PMID: 17640330 PMCID: PMC2206717 DOI: 10.1186/bcr1744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2007] [Revised: 06/15/2007] [Accepted: 07/17/2007] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction We sought to review the available evidence regarding the effect of psychosocial factors on the survival of breast cancer patients. Methods We systematically searched the PubMed and PsycINFO databases to identify relevant studies. Results We identified 31 studies examining the association of various psychosocial parameters with overall breast cancer survival/disease free survival and 6 studies examining whether psychological intervention influences the disease outcome. Of the 31 studies summarized in this overview, 25 (80.6%) showed a statistically significant association between at least one psychosocial variable and disease outcome. Parameters associated with better breast cancer prognosis are social support, marriage, and minimizing and denial, while depression and constraint of emotions are associated with decreased breast cancer survival; however, the role of these factors has not been verified in all studies. Conclusion Most of the studies show a significant relationship between psychosocial factors and survival, but the actual psychosocial variables related to survival are not consistently measured across studies and the findings for many of the psychosocial variables with survival/recurrence are not consistent across studies. Thus, more research is warranted regarding the role of social support, marriage, minimizing and denial, depression and constraint of emotions on breast cancer survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew E Falagas
- Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), Athens, Greece
- Department of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Medicine, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | | | | | - George Peppas
- Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), Athens, Greece
- Department of Surgery, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Christos Christodoulou
- Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), Athens, Greece
- Department of Medical Oncology, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Petros I Rafailidis
- Alfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), Athens, Greece
- Department of Medicine, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece
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Close relationships and emotional processing predict decreased mortality in women with breast cancer: preliminary evidence. Psychosom Med 2008; 70:117-24. [PMID: 18158376 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0b013e31815c25cf] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine close relationships and emotional processing as predictors of breast cancer mortality. METHODS Ninety women were enrolled at 14 +/- 5 months after diagnosis of Stage II/III breast cancer. The Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI) quantified disease severity. Cox proportional hazards analyses were used to predict mortality using standardized variables. RESULTS Twenty-one subjects developed recurrent disease and 16 died during an 8-year follow-up. NPI predicted increased mortality: risk ratio (RR) = 1.60 (CI = 1.05-2.41). Decreased mortality was predicted by confiding marriage (CONF): RR = 0.31 (CI = 0.10-0.99), and number of dependable, nonhousehold supports (SUPP): RR = 0.41 (CI = 0.21-0.80). A composite measure of close relationships (standardized CONF + SUPP = SUPPCONF) had a strong protective effect: RR = 0.30 (CI = 0.13-0.69). Two emotion processing variables, acceptance of emotion and emotional distress (POMS-TOT) were found to be negatively correlated (r = -.49). Acceptance of emotion predicted decreased mortality (RR = 0.46 (CI = 0.24-0.86)) when analyzed together with emotional distress, but not separately. There was a trend for a protective effect of emotional distress: RR = 0.37 (CI = 0.12-1.09) in the same analysis. RRs for mortality in a multivariable analysis were: SUPPCONF: RR = 0.55 (CI = 0.30-1.00); acceptance of emotion: RR = 0.48 (CI = 0.25-0.91); and emotional distress: RR = 0.40 (CI = 0.14-1.19). CONCLUSIONS Two aspects of close relationships--marital confiding and dependable, nonhousehold supports--were protective against breast cancer progression. Acceptance of emotion, after controlling for emotional distress, also predicted decreased mortality. Analysis of close relationships together with emotion processing variables suggested unique protective effects against mortality, but a larger study is necessary to determine whether this is the case.
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Edelman S, Kidman AD. Mind and cancer: Is there a relationship? — A review of evidence. AUSTRALIAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2007. [DOI: 10.1080/00050069708257358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Davis PJ, Singer JL, Bonanno GA, Schwartz GE. Repression and response bias during an affective memory recognition task. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2007. [DOI: 10.1080/00049538808259078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Abstract
Several personality characteristics have been linked in multiple well-designed prospective studies to subsequent physical health outcomes, such as longevity and the development and course of cardiovascular disease. The evidence is strongest for negative affectivity/neuroticism, anger/hostility and related traits, and optimism. Models of mechanisms underlying these associations have emphasized physiological effects of stress, exposure to stressors, and health behavior. Preliminary evidence supports the viability of some mechanisms, but formal mediational tests are lacking. In addition to addressing limitations and inconsistencies in this literature, future research should address developmental aspects of these psychosocial risk factors, contextual moderators of their health effects, and intervention applications in the prevention and management of disease. In these efforts, greater incorporation of concepts and methods in the structural, social-cognitive, and interpersonal perspectives in the field of personality are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy W Smith
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112, USA.
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Duncan E, Gidron Y, Rabin E, Gouchberg L, Moser AM, Kapelushnik J. The effects of guided written disclosure on psychological symptoms among parents of children with cancer. JOURNAL OF FAMILY NURSING 2007; 13:370-84. [PMID: 17641114 DOI: 10.1177/1074840707303843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
This study examines whether structured writing about receiving a diagnosis and treatment for pediatric cancer reduces distress among highly distressed parents of children with cancer (PCWC). Eight PCWC completed measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and depressive symptoms at two baselines, and again after writing, with 1-month gaps between assessments. Using a guided disclosure protocol (GDP), parents were asked to write about receiving the diagnosis first in a chronological manner, then to explicitly label their emotions at the time of diagnosis and explain the impact of the child's illness on their life. Finally, they were asked to reflect on current feelings, future coping ability, and personal growth. Although symptoms of distress did not change between baselines, significant reductions were found in PTSS from the first baseline to postwriting, but not in depression. This preliminary study suggests that the GDP may reduce PTSS in distressed PCWC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Duncan
- Division of Psychology, Glasgow Caledonian University, Cowcaddens Road, Glasgow G4 OBA, UK.
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Garssen B. Repression: finding our way in the maze of concepts. J Behav Med 2007; 30:471-81. [PMID: 17653842 PMCID: PMC2080858 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-007-9122-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2006] [Accepted: 07/09/2007] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Repression is associated in the literature with terms such as non-expression, emotional control, rationality, anti-emotionality, defensiveness and restraint. Whether these terms are synonymous with repression, indicate a variation, or are essentially different from repression is uncertain. To clarify this obscured view on repression, this paper indicates the similarities and differences between these concepts. Repression is the general term that is used to describe the tendency to inhibit the experience and the expression of negative feelings or unpleasant cognitions in order to prevent one's positive self-image from being threatened ('repressive coping style'). The terms self-deception versus other-deception, and socially related versus personally related repression refer to what is considered to be different aspects of repression. Defensiveness is a broader concept that includes both anxious defensiveness and repression; the essential difference is whether negative emotions are reported or not. Concepts that are sometimes associated with repression, but which are conceptually different, are also discussed in this paper: The act of suppression, 'repressed memories,' habitual suppression, concealment, type C coping pattern, type D personality, denial, alexithymia and blunting. Consequences for research: (1) When summarizing findings reported in the literature, it is essential to determine which concepts the findings represent. This is rarely made explicit, and failure to do so may lead to drawing the wrong conclusions (2) It is advisable to use scales based on different aspects of repression (3) Whether empirical findings substantiate the similarities and differences between concepts described in this paper will need to be shown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bert Garssen
- Helen Dowling Institute for Psycho-oncology, Rubenslaan 190, Utrecht 3582 JJ, The Netherlands.
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Stephen JE, Rahn M, Verhoef M, Leis A. What is the state of the evidence on the mind–cancer survival question, and where do we go from here? A point of view. Support Care Cancer 2007; 15:923-30. [PMID: 17593403 DOI: 10.1007/s00520-007-0281-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2007] [Accepted: 06/07/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
GOALS OF WORK There is long history of anecdote and surmise linking psychosocial factors to cancer incidence and survival. However, over the past three decades, an increasing number of rigorous studies have investigated the possibility of a mind-cancer survival connection. The objective of this paper is (1) to review the past 30 years of psycho-oncology research on the mind-cancer survival question, (2) to review the methodological debate and interpretations of the research findings, and (3) to consider future research directions. MAIN RESULTS Over the past three decades, a small number of studies have been published. Some observational and quasi-experimental studies suggest the possibility that coping and psychological factors may influence disease outcomes, but clinical trials suggest that psychosocial interventions do not prolong survival. Methodological comment and interpretation about the significance of these trials vary. Some researchers view the mind-cancer survival question as resolved and negative, whereas others identify conceptual and methodological challenges and view the possible impact of psychosocial factors on survival as simply unproven. We take the position that the question is unanswered. CONCLUSION Recommended future research directions include: (1) more trials based on testable theories, targeted interventions, and greater specificity in the measurement model and (2) new research questions and more rigorous observational, prospective, and longitudinal studies, case studies, mixed methods, and innovative design approaches being developed by complementary and alternative medicine researchers. Further research is warranted on the mind-cancer survival question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanne E Stephen
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
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Cousson-Gélie F, Bruchon-Schweitzer M, Dilhuydy JM, Jutand MA. Do Anxiety, Body Image, Social Support and Coping Strategies Predict Survival in Breast Cancer? A Ten-Year Follow-Up Study. PSYCHOSOMATICS 2007; 48:211-6. [PMID: 17478589 DOI: 10.1176/appi.psy.48.3.211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A longitudinal study enrolled 75 women with primary breast cancer. Before the confirmation of diagnosis, authors measured trait-anxiety and body satisfaction. Three weeks after diagnosis, coping strategies and state-anxiety were evaluated. The number of days of survival was measured 10 years after diagnosis. In Cox proportional-hazards models adjusting for severity of disease and age, high social support and low state-anxiety predicted an increased risk of death from breast cancer. A significant increased risk of death in women with low scores on the Body Image Questionnaire appeared only in the univariate model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Cousson-Gélie
- University of Bordeaux, Psychology Laboratory EA 3662, IFR 99, Public Health, 3 Ter Place de la Victoire, 33076 Bordeaux CEDEX, France.
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Towsley GL, Beck SL, Watkins JF. “Learning to live with it”: Coping with the transition to cancer survivorship in older adults. J Aging Stud 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jaging.2006.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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Telford K, Kralik D, Koch T. Acceptance and denial: implications for people adapting to chronic illness: literature review. J Adv Nurs 2007; 55:457-64. [PMID: 16866841 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2006.03942.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AIM This paper reports an exploration of the terms acceptance and denial by exploring the literature, with the aim of understanding the implications of using these concepts to categorize people's responses to living with chronic illness. BACKGROUND People learning to live with a chronic illness or condition may be judged and labelled by others as being in denial, particularly when they do not adhere to prescribed treatment regimes. METHOD A literature search for the period between 1989 and 2003 was conducted using the electronic databases Medline, CINAHL, PSYCArticles, Health Source Nursing/Academic Edition, Academic Search Elite and Sociological Abstracts. Key terms used were 'acceptance and denial' and variations of such themes as 'chronic illness', 'disability', 'adjustment', 'illness discourse', 'medical discourse', 'illness experience', 'labelling', 'self' and 'identity'. DISCUSSION The theoretical background of the common constructs 'acceptance and denial' are discussed using the psychoanalytic theories of Freud and Kubler-Ross's work on death and dying. Healthcare professionals and lay people commonly refer to the terms acceptance and denial when describing a person's response to chronic illness. Those whose understanding of the illness experience relies on the acceptance-denial framework may not listen when people with chronic illness attempt to tell their own unique story of how they have experienced life with illness. Instead, their listening antennae may be focused on fitting aspects of the experience with stages of adjustment. When others use labels of acceptance and denial, people who are learning to live with a chronic illness may internalize these labels as reflections of the self. This may be most likely when the person using the label is perceived to have authority, such as a healthcare professional. The internalization of negative information associated with these labels may obstruct the reshaping of self-identity that is fundamental when making a transition to living well with chronic illness. CONCLUSION Healthcare professionals are urged to challenge the stage model of adjustment as a way of understanding the response to illness and to listen instead to the stories people tell. They are encouraged to privilege the person's experience as the basis for developing a sensitive, client-focussed response that takes into account the wider social context of people's lives as well as the medical aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerry Telford
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of South Australia, Glenside, South Australia, Australia
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Baker R, Thomas S, Thomas PW, Owens M. Development of an emotional processing scale. J Psychosom Res 2007; 62:167-78. [PMID: 17270575 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2006.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2005] [Revised: 07/04/2006] [Accepted: 09/14/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to report on the development and preliminary psychometric evaluation of an emotional processing scale, a 38-item self-report questionnaire designed to identify emotional processing styles and deficits. METHODS An initial item pool derived from a conceptual model and clinical observations was piloted on clinical and community samples (n=150). The resulting 45-item scale was administered to patients with psychological problems, psychosomatic disorders, and physical disease, and to healthy individuals (n=460). Exploratory factor analysis was used to explore the underlying factor structure. RESULTS Maximum likelihood factor analysis yielded an eight-factor solution relating to styles of emotional experience (Lack of Attunement, Discordant, and Externalized), mechanisms controlling the experience and expression of emotions (Suppression, Dissociation, Avoidance, and Uncontrolled), and signs of inadequate processing (Intrusion). Internal reliability was moderate to high for six of eight factors. Preliminary findings suggested satisfactory convergent validity. DISCUSSION Overall, the psychometric properties of this scale appear promising. Work is in progress to refine the scale by incorporating additional items and by conducting further psychometric evaluations on new samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Baker
- Dorset Research and Development Support Unit, Poole Hospital NHS Trust, Poole, Dorset, United Kingdom
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Jorgensen RS, Thibodeau R. Defensive avoidance of disapproval: the relationship of a defensive style to physical and mental health. Harv Rev Psychiatry 2007; 15:9-17. [PMID: 17364969 DOI: 10.1080/10673220601183923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This article presents an exploration of a clinically meaningful interpersonal style labeled here as defensive avoidance of disapproval (DAD), which involves a motivated inattention to physiological, affective, or cognitive reactions arising from stressful social transactions, thereby safeguarding a self-image of social competence. First, we discuss conceptual antecedents of DAD derived from post-Freudian theories of twentieth-century psychodynamic and interpersonally oriented clinicians. Second, we highlight measurement issues as they relate to DAD. Third, we review research on the association of DAD with psychophysiological stress reactivity and diminished health. Finally, DAD-related clinical implications are considered. Our discussion of DAD invites the (1) assessment of phenomenological "blind spots" regarding the physiological, affective, and cognitive components of disapproval-induced stress, (2) development of strategies to decrease premature therapy termination that may result from a defensive avoidance of social disapproval, and (3) cultivation of interventions to increase the high DAD patient's acknowledgement, rather than rejection, of the signs of social stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Randall S Jorgensen
- Center for Health and Behavior and Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA.
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Aldridge AA, Roesch SC. Coping and adjustment in children with cancer: a meta-analytic study. J Behav Med 2006; 30:115-29. [PMID: 17180639 DOI: 10.1007/s10865-006-9087-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2006] [Accepted: 11/06/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The current meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of coping strategies on psychological and physical adjustment in children with cancer (n = 1230). Coping strategies were operationalized in accordance with two coping taxonomies; the first is based on the general orientation of the child's coping attempts (approach or avoidance), and the second is based upon coping efforts to regulate the stressor and/or feelings of distress attributed to it (problem-focused and emotion-focused). Approach, avoidance, and emotion-focused coping were unrelated to overall adjustment. A small-to-medium but negative association was found between problem-focused coping and adjustment, indicating more use of the strategies that compose this dimension are associated with poorer adjustment. However, homogeneity analyses also indicated significant variation for all of these effect sizes. Follow-up moderator analyses found coping-adjustment relations were both dependent upon time since diagnosis and the particular stressor the child was dealing with during treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna A Aldridge
- San Diego, Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, and University California, San Diego, CA, USA
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Edelman S. Relationship between psychological factors and cancer: An update of the evidence. CLIN PSYCHOL-UK 2006. [DOI: 10.1080/13284200500221086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Edelman
- Health Psychology Unit, University of Technology , Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Abstract
Researchers have traditionally relied on self-report questionnaires to assess psychological well-being, but such measures may be unable to differentiate individuals who are genuinely psychologically healthy from those who maintain a facade or illusion of mental health based on denial and self-deception. Prior research suggests that clinically derived assessment procedures that assess implicit psychological processes may have advantages over self-report mental health measures. This prospective study compared the Early Memory Index, an implicit measure of mental health/distress, with a range of familiar self-report scales as predictors of physical health. The Early Memory Index showed significant prospective associations with health service utilization and clinically verified illness. In contrast, self-report measures of mental health, perceived stress, life events stress, and mood states did not predict health outcomes. The findings highlight the limitations of self-report questionnaires and suggest that implicit measures have an important role to play in mental health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara McKee Cousineau
- Graduate School of Professional Psychology, University of Denver, 2460 South Vine Street, Denver, CO 80206, USA.
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48
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Millar M. Responses to messages about health behaviors: The influence of repressive coping. Psychol Health 2006; 21:231-45. [DOI: 10.1080/14768320500105361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Gidron Y, Russ K, Tissarchondou H, Warner J. The relation between psychological factors and DNA-damage: a critical review. Biol Psychol 2006; 72:291-304. [PMID: 16406268 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2005.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2005] [Revised: 11/28/2005] [Accepted: 11/29/2005] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Investigating relations between psychological factors and DNA-damage can contribute to understanding how psychological factors affect the etiology and prognosis of relevant diseases (e.g., cancer, heart disease) at the fundamental level of mutated cells. This article critically reviews 21 studies in animals and humans testing relations between psychological factors and DNA-damage. After providing a biological background, we critically review each study. The findings in humans are mapped onto a model of stress, coping and health. These studies demonstrate causal relations between acute stressors and DNA-damage in animals and significant correlations between psychological factors (e.g., depression, coping) and DNA-damage in humans, which are moderated by gender. Possible mechanisms for these relations, limitations of studies, clinical implications and suggestions for future research are provided.
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Nagano J, Ichinose Y, Asoh H, Ikeda J, Ohshima A, Sudo N, Kubo C. A prospective Japanese study of the association between personality and the progression of lung cancer. Intern Med 2006; 45:57-63. [PMID: 16484740 DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.45.1453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To examine predictive values for the effect of the "Type 1" (hopeless and emotion-suppressive, cancer prone), "Type 4" (autonomous, healthy), and "Type 5" (rational/antiemotional, cancer prone) personalities proposed by Grossarth-Maticek on the prognosis of lung cancer patients. METHODS 68 lung cancer patients were scored on the Types 1, 4, and 5 personality scales of the Short Interpersonal Reactions Inventory and were followed until the date of death or were censored at a maximum of 5.7 years after entry. RESULTS The stage at diagnosis tended to be higher in patients with a high Type 1 or a low Type 4 score. A univariate Cox proportional hazards model showed that a high tendency toward Type 1 or Type 5 was related to an increased hazard of death. Adjustment for age, performance status, and stage, however, attenuated the relation to Type 1, leaving only Type 5 as a significantly related personality factor. CONCLUSION A high Type 5 tendency may predict poor survival in lung cancer patients, whereas Types 1 and 4 may not be independent predictors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Nagano
- Institute of Health Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka
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