ISSN:
1573-3521
Keywords:
attitudes
;
cancer
;
fighting spirit
;
denial
;
psychooncology
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Medicine
,
Psychology
Notes:
Abstract Higher rates of recurrence-free survival at 5- and 10-year follow-up have been reported for breat cancer patients who initially responded to cancer with attitudes of “fighting spirit” or denial. We report here a factor analytic attempt, utilizing questionnaire data, to objectify these attitudes. A reliable factor structure replicated in breast and mixed cancer samples, yielding three factors: (1) Fighting Spirit or belief in the ability to fight back, conquer, and recover from cancer; (2) Information-Seeking behavior; and (3) Denial. Adequate 1-month test-retest correlations were obtained for Fighting Spirit and Information Seeking factor scores. A pattern of differential correlations with other measures (affect, coping, and optimism) distinguished Fighting Spirit and Information Seeking. The Denial factor appeared to be less stable and did not correlate significantly with other measures.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00844928
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