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Intrusiveness of illness and quality of life in young women with breast cancer
Author(s) -
Bloom Joan R.,
Stewart Susan L.,
Johnston Monica,
Banks Priscilla
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1611(199803/04)7:2<89::aid-pon293>3.0.co;2-e
Subject(s) - intrusiveness , quality of life (healthcare) , breast cancer , disease , clinical psychology , psychology , test (biology) , medicine , cancer , developmental psychology , psychotherapist , paleontology , biology
Our objective was to test a theoretical model that explains quality of life as a function of the intrusiveness of illness encroaching on the different domains of one's life. The intrusiveness of illness is explained not only by disease and treatment related factors, but also by one's psychological and social resources (Devins, 1994). To investigate this issue, a sample of 336 women aged 50 and under, recently diagnosed with breast cancer were interviewed in their homes. Consistent with Devins' model, intrusiveness of illness mediated the effect of disease and treatment factors on quality of life. Contrary to his model, some treatment factors also had direct effects while social and psychological factors had only direct effects on quality of life. Neither time post‐diagnosis nor type of treatment affected the psychological component of quality of life. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.