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Do sociodemographic and disease‐related variables influence benefit‐finding in cancer patients?
Author(s) -
Lechner Suzanne C.,
Zakowski Sandra G.,
Antoni Michael H.,
Greenhawt Michael,
Block Keith,
Block Penny
Publication year - 2003
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.671
Subject(s) - disease , marital status , cancer , medicine , stage (stratigraphy) , demography , psychological resilience , gerontology , clinical psychology , psychology , environmental health , population , biology , paleontology , sociology , psychotherapist
This study examined patients' perceptions that having cancer led to positive life changes, or benefit‐finding (BF), e.g. improved relationships, enhanced appreciation of life, increased resilience and self‐reliance. We investigated the relations between BF, sociodemographic (e.g. gender, age, marital status, education, income) and disease‐related variables (e.g. severity of disease or cancer stage, time since diagnosis). The sample was comprised of 83 men and women with various types of cancer, and all 4 stages of disease were represented. Participants were most likely to be Caucasian (90%), married (66%) and well‐educated (68% partial college/specialized training). Of the demographic variables investigated, younger age was associated with greater BF scores. As hypothesized, BF also differed by stage of disease in a curvilinear fashion. Individuals with stage II disease had significantly higher BF scores than those with Stage IV or Stage I cancer. Time since diagnosis and treatment status (i.e. currently in treatment, completed treatment, no treatment) were not related to BF. Findings suggest that stage of disease is an important factor to consider when investigating positive perceptions of disease in individuals with cancer. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.