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Personal control after a breast cancer diagnosis: stability and adaptive value
Author(s) -
Henselmans Inge,
Sanderman Robbert,
Baas Peter C.,
Smink Ans,
Ranchor Adelita V.
Publication year - 2009
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/pon.1333
Subject(s) - breast cancer , distress , medicine , chemotherapy , cancer , oncology , control (management) , clinical psychology , management , economics
Objective : This longitudinal study aims to gain more insight in both the changes in personal control due to a breast cancer diagnosis, as well as in the stress‐buffering effect of personal control. Methods : Personal control and distress were assessed in breast cancer patients not treated with chemotherapy ( n =47), breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy ( n =32) and in healthy women ( n =58) at 3, 9 and 15 months after diagnosis. Results : Results indicate that personal control was affected only in patients treated with chemotherapy, particularly right after the completion of treatment. Furthermore, the cross‐sectional and longitudinal results provide modest support for the stress‐buffering potential of control. Conclusions : The findings and future directions of research on the role of personal control in the adjustment to cancer will be discussed. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.