Psychological Adjustment Following Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer: An Examination of the Moderating Role of Positive and Negative Emotional Expressivity

Abstract

In support of cognitive processing models, emotional expression appears to reduce associations between intrusions and psychological distress. Past research has focused primarily on the role of the expression of negative emotion, or emotion in general, in cognitive processing and adjustment. In the present study, we examined the role of both positive and negative emotional expressivity on relations between intrusions and both distress and avoidance among 93 individuals diagnosed with and treated for cancer. We hypothesized stronger negative associations between intrusive thoughts and both distress and avoidance for those individuals lower in positive or negative expressivity. Results generally supported hypotheses with regard to relations of intrusions and distress in association with positive expressivity. Negative expressivity, however, moderated relations between intrusions and distress, but not intrusions and avoidance. These findings underscore the importance of examining the impact of individual differences in negative, as well as positive, emotional expression on cognitive processing and psychological adjustment.

The Relationship Between Emotional Suppression and Psychological Distress in Breast Cancer Patients After Surgery

“…Some studies have reported that college students with emotional suppression actually increased their negative emotions by suppressing them (35,36). Quartana et al (37) reported that negative emotional suppression may be associated with greater intrusive thoughts, which suggests that Jpn J Clin Oncol 2014;44 (9) 821 patients such as those in our study could have accumulated a number of intrusive thoughts by suppressing negative emotions. Breast cancer patients with emotional suppression continue trying to suppress negative emotions in stressful situations and tend to experience higher levels of psychological distress (27,30).…”

Psychological characteristics and subjective symptoms as determinants of psychological distress in patients prior to breast cancer diagnosis

“…However, further investigation into the role of each type of negative emotional suppression is needed to fully appreciate their implications. Furthermore, in a study of cognitive processing models in cancer patients, Quartana et al [41] revealed that negative emotional expression moderates the relationship between intrusions and psychological distress. If we implement our results into Quartana's cognitive processing models by substituting negative emotional expression for anxiety expression, we find that psychosocial intervention in cancer patients focusing on anxiety expression might be effective against decreasing psychological distress.…”

“…Subsequent studies found that negative emotional suppression is linked to psychological distress in women with early and advanced breast cancer [5,6,20,22]. In contrast, expression of emotions was associated with lower psychological distress [41]. These findings suggest that restricted emotional expression may hinder the adjustment to life-threatening illness.…”

Les effets de l’expression émotionnelle sur l’ajustement au cancer : une revue systématique de la littérature

“…La mise en évidence du rôle joué par certains traits de personnalité [58] et les réactions de l'entourage au partage des émotions [39] montrent que cette question des effets de l'expression ou de la répression émotionnelle sur l'ajustement psychologique au cancer est complexe. Cette question implique donc de prendre en considération l'existence de possibles facteurs tiers modulant les effets supposés cathartiques de la verbalisation émotionnelle ou à l'inverse des effets néfastes attribués à la répression émotionnelle sur l'ajustement psychologique au cancer.…”

“…Il n'y a que lorsque la valence des émotions exprimées est distinguée (positives vs négatives) que les auteurs repèrent une association entre disposition à exprimer des émotions négatives et diminution de la détresse émotion-nelle associée aux pensées intrusives [58]. Seule l'étude de Schmidt et Andrykowski [62] montre la valeur prédictive de l'intelligence émotionnelle, définie comme la capacité à appréhender, exprimer et réguler ses émotions [43], par rapport aux niveaux de dépression et d'anxiété, tout autant que de pensées intrusives chez des femmes traitées pour un cancer du sein.…”