Traumatic stress, perceived global stress, and life events: prospectively predicting quality of life in breast cancer patients. |
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Authors: | Deanna M Golden-Kreutz Lisa M Thornton Sharla Wells-Di Gregorio Georita M Frierson Heather S Jim Kristen M Carpenter Rebecca A Shelby Barbara L Andersen |
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Institution: | Department of Psychology, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. |
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Abstract: | The authors investigated the relationship between stress at initial cancer diagnosis and treatment and subsequent quality of life (QoL). Women (n = 112) randomized to the assessment-only arm of a clinical trial were initially assessed after breast cancer diagnosis and surgery and then reassessed at 4 months (during adjuvant treatment) and 12 months (postadjuvant treatment). There were 3 types of stress measured: number of stressful life events (K. A. Matthews et al., 1997), cancer-related traumatic stress symptoms (M. J. Horowitz, N. Wilner, & W. Alvarez, 1979), and perceived global stress (S. Cohen, T. Kamarck, & R. Mermelstein, 1983). Using hierarchical multiple regressions, the authors found that stress predicted both psychological and physical QoL (J. E. Ware, K. K. Snow, & M. Kosinski, 2000) at the follow-ups (all ps < .03). These findings substantiate the relationship between initial stress and later QoL and underscore the need for timely psychological intervention. |
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