Relationship of Optimism–Pessimism and Health-Related Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors

Abstract

Few studies have investigated the influence of optimism-pessimism in breast cancer survivors. This study used a retrospective design with 268 adult women who completed the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) as part of their medical care approximately 10 years prior to their breast cancer diagnosis and Medical Outcome Study Short-Form General Health Survey (SF-36 or SF-12), on average, 8 years after diagnosis. MMPI pessimism scores were divided into quartiles, and t tests were used to determine differences between those highest and lowest in pessimism on health-related quality-of-life (QOL) measures, demographics, and disease status. The mean age at diagnosis of breast cancer was 63 years, and 74% had early-stage breast cancer. Patients age 65 years and older were significantly lower on physical health related QOL scales. There were no significant differences in health-related QOL scores by stage of disease. Patients with a pessimistic explanatory style were significantly lower on all of the health-related QOL scores, compared to those with a nonpessimistic style. Breast cancer survivors who exhibit a pessimistic explanatory style report lower health-related QOL for years after receiving a cancer diagnosis, compared to nonpessimistic women.

Examining Behavioral and Psychosocial Predictors of Antibody Testing among College Youth: Implications for HIV Prevention Education and Testing

“…These explanatory or attributional styles have been linked to health-related issues, including depression and illness (Fresco, Alloy, & Reilly-Harrington, 2006;Peterson et al, 2008). The Attributional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) was used to examine the degree to which respondents attributed life events to internal, Downloaded by [National Pingtung University of Science and Technology] at 01:36 06 February 2015 stable, and global causes (i.e., optimistic) as opposed to external, unstable, and specific (i.e., pessimistic) causes (Peterson et al, 1982).…”

SNPs in PTGS2 and LTA predict pain and quality of life in long term lung cancer survivors

“…The SF-36 and the SF-8 have been widely used in cancer health-related QOL studies and have been shown to have high reliability and validity when utilized in cancer populations. [68–71]…”

Determining Whether a Patient is Feeling Better: Pitfalls from the Science of Human Perception

“…In such cases where people choose and endure an unpleasant experience, individuals may subsequently reconcile themselves by exaggerating the resulting benefits (a phenomenon termed "cognitive dissonance reduction") 18 . After a course of noxious chemotherapy for breast cancer, for example, some women may be unduly confident about having conquered cancer [19][20][21] . Whereas a degree of optimism may be productive, an exaggerated false sense of security could theoretically jeopardize subsequent patient outcomes by contributing to lapses in follow-up appointments, gaps in long-term medication adherence, or denial over a possible recurrence [22][23][24] .…”