Current Research:
Emotional Health
Depression and PTSD in Breast Cancer Survivors
Alexis Llewellyn, Ph.D.
Importance
- Several recent studies have revealed a possible link between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and life-threatening illness.
- PTSD has been associated with poorer recovery, longer hospitalization, avoidance of follow-up care, poorer quality of life, and increases in life-threatening behaviors.
Goals and Findings
- Learning more about how cancer diagnosis, treatment, and resulting role changes may give rise to PTSD.
- Early identification of PTSD-like symptoms and appropriate intervention may be the best means of enhancing the quality of life for all breast cancer survivors.
Health Locus of Control, Depression, and Anxiety
Maggie Peter, Ph.D.
Importance
- Women with breast cancer may experience an increase in depression and anxiety
Goals and Findings
- Investigating how depression and anxiety are related to health locus of control (e.g., whether the woman thinks her illness is in the control of herself, her doctor, or God)
- Beginning to look at the relationships between negative feelings, control beliefs, and thoughts
- Finding that breast cancer survivors’ control beliefs impact level of depression but only when feelings of anxiety are high
Coping with Chemotherapy
Valerie Bussell, Ph.D.
Importance
- Many breast cancer survivors consider chemotherapy as one of the most difficult and demanding treatments
- Few studies have examined coping with chemotherapy for breast cancer
Goals and Findings
- Over the course of chemotherapy, breast cancer survivors use both emotion-focused and problem-focused ways of coping
- Only emotion-focused (not problem-focused) coping is related to depression, anxiety, and fatigue
- Problem-focused coping is associated with strong perceptions of control, whereas emotion-focused coping is associated with low perceptions of control of cancer and treatment side effects
Humor, Coping, and Quality of Life
Laura Phillip, Ph.D.
Importance
- Positive Psychology addresses the importance of optimism, humor, and hope on coping with difficult and stressful situations.
Goals and Findings
- Determine if, and in what situations, breast cancer survivors and cancer free middle-aged and older women use humor to help them cope with their illnesses
- Investigate the impact of humor and optimism on quality of life.
Resiliency in Breast Cancer Survivors
Mary J. Naus, Ph.D. & Chelsea Gilts
Importance
- Women who do exceptionally well in handling the stress of their breast cancer diagnosis and treatment are thought of as “resilient”
Goals and Findings
- Working to identify those “personality” characteristics that are related to resiliency in breast cancer survivors
- Trying to understand what breast cancer survivors who are resilient do differently from those who are not as resilient
- Hoping to improve the quality of life for all women living with breast cancer
Benefit Finding During Breast Cancer Survivorship
Maggie Peter, Ph.D. , Charlotte Parrott , M.A. & Liz Ross
Importance
- Diagnosis and treatment for breast cancer is traumatic and stressful, however, some women may actually find good things (benefits) from this experience
- Benefit finding can include feeling stronger, closer personal relationships, insight into the meaning of life, changes in life priorities, and a greater appreciation for life
Goals and Findings
- Trying to discover those factors are related to benefit finding in breast cancer survivors
- Hoping to encourage all breast cancer survivors to achieve better adjustment and to find ways to learn from their cancer experience
Religion and Spirituality
Andy Robinson & Mekhala Samsi, Ph.D.
Importance
- For many women and their families belief in God plays a critical role in helping them to deal with their breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, as well as living as a cancer survivor
Goals and Findings
- Develop questionnaires and interviews to measure and define spirituality and religion in cancer survivors and their families
- Gain a better understanding of the impact of faith, forgiveness, and hope on the physical and emotional well-being of breast cancer survivors
Body Image and Self-Esteem
Irene Teo, M.A. & Liz Ross
Importance
- Cancer diagnosis and treatment may impact a woman's perception of her body, impacting her self-steem and self confidence
Goals and Findings
- Compare breast cancer survivors to age-matched middle-aged and older women who have not had cancer
- Map how self-esteem and body image change with age and cancer status and how these changes impact quality of life.
Personality and BCS
Steven Caloudas
Importance:
- Interaction of personality and coping in relation to well-being and quality of life
- Personality represents steady characteristics of a person’s experience that could influence perceived quality of life. Given the malleable nature of coping, individuals may be able to learn new coping styles, leading to modification in quality of life
Goals and Findings
- Finding if specific coping styles may enhance or attenuate the association of some personality dimensions to quality of life
