Avoiding patient self-blame

The link between value motives, value success, and well‐being among people diagnosed with cancer

“…It suggests that some patients pursue health values to avoid self‐imposed recriminations, not out of an intrinsic belief that to do so will improve their health. The cancer literature suggests that guilt and shame reactions in cancer patients are common 56, 57, and may be influenced by culturally imposed ideas about the meaning of cancer, socially desirable responses to cancer (i.e. ‘putting up the good fight’ or ‘staying positive’) and beliefs about the importance of health restoration as a precondition for well‐being 10.…”

Self-blame, Self-forgiveness, and Spirituality in Breast Cancer Survivors in a Public Sector Setting

“…For example, self-blame is associated with poorer psychological adjustment in medically ill patients, including women with breast cancer [1,4,5,7]. Because it has been suggested that behavioral factors such as diet and exercise may be related to an increased risk of breast cancer, some women with breast cancer may blame themselves for developing this disease, resulting in mood disturbance and decreased quality of life (QoL) [3,6,[8][9][10][11]. Support for a relationship between self-blame and psychological adjustment has been inconsistent.…”