Breast cancer, potentially a traumatic stressor, may be accompanied by negative outcomes, such as posttraumatic stress disorder or positive changes, such as posttraumatic growth. The authors reviewed 24 studies published from 1990 to 2010 that measured posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth in women with breast cancer, in terms of frequency rates, factors associated with posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth, and their interrelationships. A relatively small percentage of women experienced posttraumatic stress disorder, while the majority of them reported posttraumatic growth. Age, education, economic status, subjective appraisal of the threat of the disease, treatment, support from significant others, and positive coping strategies were among the most frequently reported factors associated with these phenomena. Moreover, posttraumatic stress disorder and posttraumatic growth were not related. Future research should shed more light on posttraumatic growth and posttraumatic stress disorder among women with breast cancer, the parameters that influence them, and their possible relationship.

Building on previous research on psychosocial variables associated with oral hygiene behavior, this study examined the ability of Health Belief Model variables (perceived benefits, barriers, susceptibility, severity) and self-efficacy beliefs about toothbrushing to inform prevalence of dental caries and toothbrushing frequency. To accomplish this goal, a sample of 125 dental patients completed self-report questionnaires and provided data on demographic and behavioral factors. A path analysis model with manifest variables was tested. Oral hygiene beliefs emerged as a multidimensional construct. Results suggested that stronger self-efficacy beliefs (β = .81) and greater perceived severity of oral diseases (β = .18) were related to increased toothbrushing frequency, which in turn was associated with better oral health status, as indicated by the total number of decayed, missing, and filled teeth due to dental caries (β = -.39). Possible strategies for improving oral health are discussed.

Previous research has shown that, although routine mammography screening can reduce mortality from breast cancer, the use of annual mammography screening remains well under 65%. In an effort to determine the factors that are associated with women's mammography behaviors, this study used the health belief model and the common-sense model of self-regulation as the theoretical frameworks to explore health beliefs, illness representations, and women's mammography practice. Data were obtained from a nationally representative sample of 408 Greek women, 40 years of age or older, with no personal history of cancer. Three dependent variables were considered: recent mammography, repeat mammography, and no mammogram during lifetime. Predictors included socio-demographic and medical variables, perceived benefits of mammography screening, perceived barriers to mammography screening, self-efficacy, as well as illness perceptions. Multivariate analyzes indicated that never having had a mammogram was more likely for women who perceived fewer benefits and more barriers to mammography screening, had more negative emotional representations of breast cancer, and had no private health insurance coverage. Factors associated with recent mammography were younger age, a good knowledge of the recommended mammography screening interval, a family history of breast cancer, and use of patient reminders for next mammogram. Adequate knowledge about the recommended mammography screening interval and higher values for breast cancer worry were associated with an increased number of repeat lifetime mammograms. Implications of the results and suggestions for future research are outlined.

A double blind trial on the effects of 2 mg of benzhexol on memory was performed on thirteen elderly subjects without cognitive impairment. The tests given 90 minutes after the drug or placebo involved learning a list of ten words, a paired-associate learning task, learning a short story and a test of digit span. Subjects were asked to recall the word list one minute after an interfering task, and 6 items from the story directly. Digit span involved immediate recall and the paired learning was measured by the number of trials necessary to learn. All tests were significantly impaired by the benzhexol except for digit span. This suggests that muscarinic blocking drugs should be avoided in the elderly, as they mimic the memory deficits found in senile dementia of Alzheimer type.

The present study explored the relation of time perspective to perceived risk for breast cancer and mammography screening. Women free from breast cancer (N = 194), eligible for mammography screening in terms of age, completed the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999) and measures of perceived risk, attitude toward performing mammography screening, intention to get a mammogram, and mammography screening behavior. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that perceived risk of breast cancer (β= .18, p < .01) and intention to be screened (β = .35, p < .01) were significantly associated with mammography screening, after controlling for the effects of sociodemographic (e.g., age, education, and economic level) and health-related variables (e.g., family history of breast cancer and previous benign breast disease). Path analyses including the main psychological variables indicated that perceived risk was indirectly related to intention via attitude (β = .17, p < .01), and to mammography screening through attitude and intention (β = .06, p < .01). Attitude was indirectly related to mammography screening via intention (β = .20, p < .01). Also, a significant indirect association was observed between future orientation and mammography screening, via perceived risk (β = .10, p < .01). Theoretical implications of study findings and suggestions for future research on use of mammography are presented.

Posttraumatic growth (the perception of positive life changes after an encounter with a trauma) often occurs among breast cancer patients and can be influenced by certain demographic, medical, and psychosocial parameters. Social constraints on disclosure (the deprivation of the opportunity to express feelings and thoughts regarding the trauma) and the cognitive processing of the disease seem to be involved in the development of posttraumatic growth. Through the present study the authors aim to: investigate the levels of posttraumatic growth in a sample of 202 women with breast cancer in Greece, explore the relationships between posttraumatic growth and particular demographic, medical, and psychosocial variables according to a proposed model, and test the role of social constraints in the relationship between automatic and deliberate cognitive processing of the trauma. The results showed that posttraumatic growth was evident in the majority of the sample and was associated inversely with age at diagnosis (β = -0.174, p < .05) and psychological distress (β = -0.394, p = .001), directly with time since diagnosis (β = 0.181, p < .05), and indirectly with intrusions and psychological distress, through reflective rumination (β = 0.323, p = .001). Social constraints were found to moderate the relationship between intrusions and reflective rumination. Implications of the results and suggestions for future research and practice are outlined.

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