TY - JOUR
T1 - Understanding the roles of patient symptoms and subjective appraisals in well-being among breast cancer patients
AU - Badana, Adrian N.S.
AU - Marino, Victoria R.
AU - Templeman, Maureen E.
AU - McMillan, Susan C.
AU - Tofthagen, Cindy S.
AU - Small, Brent J.
AU - Haley, William E.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.
PY - 2019/11/1
Y1 - 2019/11/1
N2 - Purpose: To examine the roles of both patient symptoms, and subjective appraisals of stress (self-efficacy, symptom barriers, symptom distress), in understanding well-being (anxiety, depression, cancer-specific quality of life, mental health quality of life, and physical health quality of life) in breast cancer patients. Methods: We examined data from 104 female breast cancer patients. Using a stress process model, we hypothesized that while high levels of patient symptoms would be associated with poorer patient well-being, these effects would be mediated by subjective appraisals, including patient self-efficacy, perceived symptom barriers, and symptom distress. Results: As expected, higher levels of patient symptoms were associated with poorer well-being on all five indicators. Subjective appraisals of stress added significantly to predictors of well-being, and were mediators of this relationship across all five outcomes. Conclusions: While patient symptoms are important predictors of patient well-being, subjective appraisals of the stressfulness of symptoms, and of patients’ self-efficacy in managing symptoms, are also key factors. The findings suggest the utility of a stress process model in understanding well-being in breast cancer patients, and point to the potential value of targeting patient appraisals as well as symptoms to improve psychological well-being and quality of life.
AB - Purpose: To examine the roles of both patient symptoms, and subjective appraisals of stress (self-efficacy, symptom barriers, symptom distress), in understanding well-being (anxiety, depression, cancer-specific quality of life, mental health quality of life, and physical health quality of life) in breast cancer patients. Methods: We examined data from 104 female breast cancer patients. Using a stress process model, we hypothesized that while high levels of patient symptoms would be associated with poorer patient well-being, these effects would be mediated by subjective appraisals, including patient self-efficacy, perceived symptom barriers, and symptom distress. Results: As expected, higher levels of patient symptoms were associated with poorer well-being on all five indicators. Subjective appraisals of stress added significantly to predictors of well-being, and were mediators of this relationship across all five outcomes. Conclusions: While patient symptoms are important predictors of patient well-being, subjective appraisals of the stressfulness of symptoms, and of patients’ self-efficacy in managing symptoms, are also key factors. The findings suggest the utility of a stress process model in understanding well-being in breast cancer patients, and point to the potential value of targeting patient appraisals as well as symptoms to improve psychological well-being and quality of life.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Cancer symptoms
KW - Oncology
KW - Psychological distress
KW - Stress appraisal
KW - Well-being
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85062881021&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85062881021&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00520-019-04707-2
DO - 10.1007/s00520-019-04707-2
M3 - Article
C2 - 30847702
AN - SCOPUS:85062881021
SN - 0941-4355
VL - 27
SP - 4245
EP - 4252
JO - Supportive Care in Cancer
JF - Supportive Care in Cancer
IS - 11
ER -