Speculations on the relationship of behavioral therapy to psychosocial research on cancer.

Abstract

ur overall objective is to persuade the reader that social psychological theory can play a critical role in improving the understanding of the behavioral issues 0 surrounding detection, control, treatment, and recovery from cancers. In addition, we hope to make the following, more specific points. First, we believe that the relationship between behavioral research on cancer and "basic" psychological theory is a two-way street, in which each side informs and influences the other. Thus, we do not believe that behavioral research on cancer is merely an applied endeavor in which investigators use "basic" psychological theory to understand behaviors related to cancer. Rather, we believe that behavioral research in the cancer domain makes important contributions to basic, psychological theory.Second, we argue that a multilevel self-regulation model is needed for the science of modeling and the practice of influencing behaviors in the cancer domain. A fully specified, self-regulation model of this type will capture people's perceptions of cancer ( e g , its perceived symptoms, causes, consequences, time frames, control) and their perceptions of the procedures for controlling the threat of cancer, and it will conceptualize the relationships of these perceptions to the individual's personal and sociocultural context. We propose further that sociocultural variables and personal characteristics are contextual factors or moderators whose primary effects on behavior are through their influence on the perception of disease threats and the procedures used for threat management (Leventhal, Diefenbach, & Leventhal, 1992; Leventhal, Leventhal, & Cameron, in press), although we do not rule out the We thank Andrew Baum for his encouragement and helpful comments. The work was supported by Grants AG12072 and AGO3501 from the National Institute on Aging.

Quality of Life After Self-Management Cancer Rehabilitation: A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Physical and Cognitive-Behavioral Training Versus Physical Training

“…Both programs aimed at improving participants' role functioning and other aspects of QoL and supporting patients in coping with the physical and psychosocial consequences of cancer, with a primary focus on illness perceptions and self-management. The programs focused on patients' illness perceptions because coping strategies are guided by patients' perceptions of their illness and perceived identity (label and symptoms of illness), perceived causes, time-line (duration and course), and perceived consequences, controllability, and curability (18). Therefore, awareness or even adaptation of these perceptions might influence coping and support self-management.…”

“…To this end, we developed a multidisciplinary cancer rehabilitation program based on earlier studies concerning multidisciplinary rehabilitation (11,12). In this program, we integrated evidence-based (3)(4)(5)(6)(7) PT and CBT protocols according to a self-management approach (17,18). PT focused on enhancing self-management in PT and sports, whereas in CBT emphasis was placed on providing structural interactive psychoeducation and training in self-management skills.…”

Cancer rehabilitation : evaluation of two group-based programs combining physical and psychosocial training

“…Furthermore, in addition to social comparison processes and modeling, other valuable concepts originating from social learning theory and social cognitive theory (Bandura 1986) were also applied. Self-efficacy (Bandura 1997), self-management (Holroyd and Creer 1986), and illness perceptions (Leventhal and Carr 2001) were addressed in both modules. Furthermore, problemsolving (D'Zurilla and Goldfried 1971;D'Zurilla and Nezu 2007) was integrated in the psychosocial module by formatting this module in line with existing and beneficial problem-solving protocols for individual cancer patients (Nezu et al 1998;Nezu et al 2003) and for groups of patients with nonspecific low back pain (Van den Hout et al 2003;Kole-Snijders et al 2006) .…”

“…Illness perceptions play an important role in self-management. The basic assumption underlying the self-management approach is that people coping with cancer are "common sense medical scientists" (Leventhal and Carr 2001). Their formulation and representation of the illness guides their coping procedures, that is, their efforts in cancer rehabilitation (Leventhal and Carr 2001).…”

“…The basic assumption underlying the self-management approach is that people coping with cancer are "common sense medical scientists" (Leventhal and Carr 2001). Their formulation and representation of the illness guides their coping procedures, that is, their efforts in cancer rehabilitation (Leventhal and Carr 2001). According to the "common sense model of illness" coping strategies are guided by patients' perceptions of their illness (Leventhal and Carr 2001).…”