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Happiness and time perspective as potential mediators of quality of life and depression in adolescent cancer
Author(s) -
Bitsko Matthew J.,
Stern Marilyn,
Dillon Robyn,
Russell E. Clifton,
Laver Joseph
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
pediatric blood and cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.116
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1545-5017
pISSN - 1545-5009
DOI - 10.1002/pbc.21337
Subject(s) - happiness , medicine , quality of life (healthcare) , psychosocial , clinical psychology , depression (economics) , mediation , psychological intervention , cancer , time perspective , perspective (graphical) , depressive symptoms , psychiatry , psychology , cognition , psychotherapist , social psychology , nursing , computer science , political science , law , economics , macroeconomics , artificial intelligence
Background Given the increase in 5‐ and 10‐year survival rates of children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer, current psycho‐oncology literature is focusing on finding correlates and predictors to their positive psychosocial adjustment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate two potential mediators to adolescent cancer survivors' quality of life (QOL) and depressive symptomology. Procedure: Adolescent cancer survivors (N = 50; 50% males; mean diagnosis age, 13.7; mean age at study, 20.2) were surveyed, testing the mediation effects of their happiness (Subjective Happiness Scale) and past‐negative time perspective (Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory) on QOL (PedsQL 4.0) and depressive symptomology (CES‐D). Independent variables included gender and treatment intensity. Results Happiness significantly mediated the relationship between treatment intensity in both depressive symptomology (β = −0.65, P < 0.05, CI = −2.46, −6.41) and QOL (β = 0.54, P < 0.05, CI = 3.66, 9.01). A past‐negative time perspective significantly mediated the relationship between gender and depressive symptomology (β = 0.60, P < 0.05, CI = 3.34, 9.78). Survivors' gender was not associated with happiness and treatment intensity was not associated with time perspective. Conclusions Happiness may be a more direct predictor of QOL and depression than the intensity of treatment for cancer. Also, thinking negatively about one's past may be a more direct predictor of depressive symptomology than being female. Therefore, interventions that cultivate happiness and reframe time perspective may be effective ways to improve survivors' QOL and decrease depressive symptoms—regardless of gender and intensity of treatment protocol. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:613–619. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.