Abstract
In considering well-being among survivors of life-threatening illnesses such as breast cancer, 2 important questions are whether there is continuity between initial adjustment and longer term adjustment and what role personality plays in long-term adjustment. In this research, a sample of 163 early stage breast cancer patients whose psychosocial adjustment was first assessed during the year after surgery completed the same measures 5-13 years after surgery. Initial reports of well-being were relatively strong predictors of follow-up well-being on the same measures. Initial optimism and marital status also predicted follow-up adjustment, even controlling for earlier adjustment, which exerted a substantial unique effect in multivariate analyses. In contrast, initial medical variables played virtually no predictive role. There is substantial continuity of subjective well-being across many years among survivors of breast cancer, rooted partly in personality and social connection.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 508-516 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Health Psychology |
| Volume | 24 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Sep 1 2005 |
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Keywords
- Breast cancer
- Long-term survivors
- Optimism
- Personality
- Quality of life
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
- Psychology(all)
Cite this
Optimistic personality and psychosocial well-being during treatment predict psychosocial well-being among long-term survivors of breast cancer. / Carver, Charles S; Smith, Roselyn G.; Antoni, Michael H; Petronis, Vida M.; Weiss, Sharlene; Derhagopian, Robert P.
In: Health Psychology, Vol. 24, No. 5, 01.09.2005, p. 508-516.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Optimistic personality and psychosocial well-being during treatment predict psychosocial well-being among long-term survivors of breast cancer
AU - Carver, Charles S
AU - Smith, Roselyn G.
AU - Antoni, Michael H
AU - Petronis, Vida M.
AU - Weiss, Sharlene
AU - Derhagopian, Robert P.
PY - 2005/9/1
Y1 - 2005/9/1
N2 - In considering well-being among survivors of life-threatening illnesses such as breast cancer, 2 important questions are whether there is continuity between initial adjustment and longer term adjustment and what role personality plays in long-term adjustment. In this research, a sample of 163 early stage breast cancer patients whose psychosocial adjustment was first assessed during the year after surgery completed the same measures 5-13 years after surgery. Initial reports of well-being were relatively strong predictors of follow-up well-being on the same measures. Initial optimism and marital status also predicted follow-up adjustment, even controlling for earlier adjustment, which exerted a substantial unique effect in multivariate analyses. In contrast, initial medical variables played virtually no predictive role. There is substantial continuity of subjective well-being across many years among survivors of breast cancer, rooted partly in personality and social connection.
AB - In considering well-being among survivors of life-threatening illnesses such as breast cancer, 2 important questions are whether there is continuity between initial adjustment and longer term adjustment and what role personality plays in long-term adjustment. In this research, a sample of 163 early stage breast cancer patients whose psychosocial adjustment was first assessed during the year after surgery completed the same measures 5-13 years after surgery. Initial reports of well-being were relatively strong predictors of follow-up well-being on the same measures. Initial optimism and marital status also predicted follow-up adjustment, even controlling for earlier adjustment, which exerted a substantial unique effect in multivariate analyses. In contrast, initial medical variables played virtually no predictive role. There is substantial continuity of subjective well-being across many years among survivors of breast cancer, rooted partly in personality and social connection.
KW - Breast cancer
KW - Long-term survivors
KW - Optimism
KW - Personality
KW - Quality of life
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=24644509677&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=24644509677&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/0278-6133.24.5.508
DO - 10.1037/0278-6133.24.5.508
M3 - Article
C2 - 16162045
AN - SCOPUS:24644509677
VL - 24
SP - 508
EP - 516
JO - Health Psychology
JF - Health Psychology
SN - 0278-6133
IS - 5
ER -