Experience of Trauma, Distress, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Breast Cancer Patients

Palmer, Steven C.; Kagee, Ashraf; Coyne, James C.; DeMichele, Angela

doi:10.1097/01.psy.0000116755.71033.10

Cited by 134 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…These consequences, whether post-traumatic symptoms, distress or loss of meaning, have been widely studied in many researches (Cordova et al, 1995;Cohen M., 2002;Palmer et al,2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-traumatic growth, distress and attachment style among women with breast cancer

Romeo

Ghiggia

Tesio

et al. 2017

Journal of Psychosocial Oncology

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Post-traumatic growth, distress and attachment style among women with breast cancer / Romeo, Annunziata; Ghiggia, Ada; Tesio, Valentina; Di Tella, Marialaura; Torta, Riccardo; Castelli, Lorys. -In: JOURNAL OF PSYCHOSOCIAL ONCOLOGY. -ISSN 0734-7332. -35:3(2017), pp. 309-322. Original Citation:Post-traumatic growth, distress and attachment style among women with breast cancer AbstractWe investigated the level of Post-traumatic growth (PTG) and its relationship with clinical and psychological variables in a sample of 108 females breast cancer survivors. The data were collected through the PTG Inventory, the Relationship Questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Distress Thermometer. Women with higher depressive symptoms presented lower levels of PTG than women without. Moreover, women who had undergone combined treatment presented higher levels of PTG than women who had not. In conclusion, the presence of depressive symptoms in the follow-up period was found to negatively interfere with the possibility of developing psychological growth.

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“…These consequences, whether post-traumatic symptoms, distress or loss of meaning, have been widely studied in many researches (Cordova et al, 1995;Cohen M., 2002;Palmer et al,2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Post-traumatic growth, distress and attachment style among women with breast cancer

Romeo

Ghiggia

Tesio

et al. 2017

Journal of Psychosocial Oncology

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“…The majority of the available data come not from studies determining patients' syndromal or subsyndromal PTSD diagnoses, but from patient self-reports of traumatic symptoms found to be correlated with poor quality of life and/or impaired physical functioning (e.g., Diemling, Kahana, Bowman, & Schaefer, 2002;Jacobsen et al, 1998; for a review, see Kangas, Henry, & Bryant, 2002 (Gurevich et al, 2002;Kangas et al, 2002), only 8 studies used diagnostic interviews (e.g., SCID; First, Spitzer, Gibbon, & Williams, 1996). Across studies, 0 to 10 patients with PTSD were identified, for a total of 40 PTSD cases in the literature from over 700 patients assessed (Alter et al, 1996;Brewin, Watson, McCarthy, Hyman, & Dayson, 1998;Green et al, 1998;Kangas, Henry, & Bryant, 2005;Mehnert & Koch, 2007;Mundy et al, 2000;Palmer, Kagee, Coyne, & DeMichele, 2004;Pitman et al, 2001). Thus, a study of more cases of PTSD would be useful, but clarifying the clinical picture for those with subsyndromal PTSD would be of particular value.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

PTSD diagnoses, subsyndromal symptoms, and comorbidities contribute to impairments for breast cancer survivors

Shelby

Golden-Kreutz

Andersen

2008

Journal of Traumatic Stress

117

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The clinical importance of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology for cancer patients is unclear. The association between the magnitude of cancer-related PTSD symptoms, comorbidity, and functioning is tested. Breast cancer patients (N = 74) were assessed at diagnosis/surgery, followed, and screened for cancer-related PTSD 18 months later. Participants then completed diagnostic interviews and PTSD (n = 12), subsyndromal PTSD (n = 5), and no symptom (n = 47) patient groups were identified. Posttraumatic stress disorder cases were distinguished by having experienced violent traumas and anxiety disorders predating cancer, whereas subsyndromal cases were not. Also, longitudinal data show that PTSD covarys with poorer functioning and lower quality of life among breast cancer survivors. Both PTSD and subsyndromal PTSD were associated with employment absenteeism and the seeking of mental health services.Studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in cancer patients find that diagnostic rates are low (3% to 14%), but symptomatology falling short of the diagnostic criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 1994)-PTSD that is subsyndromal-may occur in upward of 50% of patients (Gurevich, Devins, & Rodin, 2002). How disabling subsyndromal PTSD may be for any individual is not fully known; however, the few data suggest that it is so. Stein, Walker, Hazen, and Forde (1997) using community survey data found that individuals with subsyndromal PTSD reported employment problems, social disruptions, and difficulties in the home. Similarly, Ciechanowski, Walker, Russo, Newman, and Katon (2004) found in a general survey of women in a health maintenance organization that quality of life was lower among those with subsyndromal PTSD compared to those with no symptoms. Finally, Marshall and colleagues (2001), using data from over 9,000 adults screened for anxiety disorders, reported that the presence of subsyndromal symptoms significantly raised the risk for suicidal ideation.It is not known if similar disruptions occur for cancer survivors. The majority of the available data come not from studies determining patients' syndromal or subsyndromal PTSD diagnoses, but from patient self-reports of traumatic symptoms found to be correlated with poor quality of life and/or impaired physical functioning (e.g., Diemling, Kahana, Bowman, & Schaefer, 2002;Jacobsen et al., 1998; for a review, see Kangas, Henry, & Bryant, 2002 (Gurevich et al., 2002;Kangas et al., 2002), only 8 studies used diagnostic interviews (e.g., SCID; First, Spitzer, Gibbon, & Williams, 1996). Across studies, 0 to 10 patients with PTSD were identified, for a total of 40 PTSD cases in the literature from over 700 patients assessed (Alter et al., 1996;Brewin, Watson, McCarthy, Hyman, & Dayson, 1998;Green et al., 1998;Kangas, Henry, & Bryant, 2005;Mehnert & Koch, 2007;Mundy et al., 2000;Palmer, Kagee, Coyne, & DeMichele, 2004;Pitman et al., 2001). Thus, a study ...

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“…Although survivorship is increasing, individuals diagnosed with cancer must navigate the processes of recovery. Although fewer than 10% meet criteria for a PTSD diagnosis, up to 67% of patients report symptoms of PTSD in the first year following cancer treatment (Kangas, Henry, & Bryant, 2002;Palmer, Kagee, Coyne, & DeMichele, 2004). Worry is also common, with 30% to 40% of cancer survivors reporting ongoing fears of recurrence and of diagnostic tests (Deimling, Bowman, Sterns, Wagner, & Kahana, 2006).…”

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confidence: 99%

Distress and Resilience After Cancer in Veterans

Jahn

Herman

Schuster

et al. 2012

Research in Human Development

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Combat exposure and posttraumatic stress have the potential to affect distress in response to cancer, a common late-life stressor. Models of posttraumatic growth suggest that distress can produce varying avenues for resilience. A primarily male, veteran sample completed interviews regarding how combat exposure and posttraumatic stress relate to distress and growth in cancer survivors. While combat alone did not predict greater distress, combat veterans with current combat-related posttraumatic stress symptoms reported the greatest distress following cancer. These same veterans showed cancer-related growth. This is the first large-scale study examining the relationships among combat, posttraumatic stress, and emotional health following cancer.What is the lifespan developmental impact of combat trauma? Does early life exposure to combat increase the risk of distress when confronted with later life-threatening illness, or does survival following such exposure convey resilience? Combat exposure is associated with the risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Aldwin, Levenson, & Spiro, 1994;Fontana & Rosenheck, 1998;Lee, Vaillant, Torrey, & Elder, 1995). At the same time, combat exposure may be associated with resilience and stress-related growth, conveying successful coping in the face of stressful life events (Aldwin et al., 1994;Fontana & Rosenheck, 1998;Jennings, Aldwin, Levenson, Spiro, & Mroczek, 2006). RESILIENCE ACROSS THE LIFE COURSEResilience is a term with different uses. Here we refer to resilience as a process or pattern of adaptation in the context of threats to individual life or function (Masten & Wright, 2010). Although there are multiple ways to conceptualize the pathways of resilience (Bonanno, 2004;Masten & Obradovic, 2008), three pathways are especially relevant to lifespan Address correspondence to Jennifer Moye, VA Boston Healthcare System, Brockton Division, 940 Belmont Street, Brockton, MA 02301. Jennifer.Moye@va.gov. (Masten & Wright, 2010): Resistance, a tendency to display a steady state following a stress or with no marked increase in distress; recovery, initial distress followed by positive adaptation; and transformation, in which adaptive functioning improves after trauma through transformational meaning making or posttraumatic growth (Tedeschi, Park, & Calhoun, 1998). Dynamic processes of change may occur between these trajectories (Aldwin, Levenson, & Kelly, 2009). For example, life course theorists recognize the potential of turning points (Elder & Shanahan, 2006), in the forms of positive social structures and idiosyncratic events, as opportunities for individuals on trajectories of vulnerability after initial trauma to experience stress-related growth in response to subsequent events. This growth may then steer such individuals onto pathways of more resilience (McAdams & Bowman, 2001). Combat veterans may be an ideal population in which to examine these trajectories in the context of life-threatening trauma (Clipp & Elder, 1996). Further, few studies have examined t...

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Experience of Trauma, Distress, and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Breast Cancer Patients

Abstract: Although an intense negative emotional reaction to breast cancer was common, PTSD had low prevalence. Results suggest that using a trauma framework to understand the experience of most patients with cancer may be inaccurate.

Cited by 134 publications

References 43 publications

Post-traumatic growth, distress and attachment style among women with breast cancer

Post-traumatic growth, distress and attachment style among women with breast cancer

PTSD diagnoses, subsyndromal symptoms, and comorbidities contribute to impairments for breast cancer survivors

Distress and Resilience After Cancer in Veterans

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