Urcuyo, K. R., Boyers, A. E., Carver, C. S., & Antoni, M. H. (2005). Finding benefit in breast cancer: Relations with personality, coping, and concurrent well-being. Psychology & Health, 20, 175-192..
Cancer patients experience positive as well as adverse consequences
from cancer diagnosis and treatment. The work reported here was part of
an effort to characterize the experience of benefit finding in breast
cancer patients. A sample of 230 early-stage breast cancer patients
completed a set of benefit finding items in the year post-surgery. This
measure was then related to measures of concurrent coping, several
aspects of psychosocial well-being, demographic variables, and several
personality traits. Benefit finding related positively to trait
optimism, and to positive reframing and religious activity as coping
reactions. Benefit finding related inversely to emotional distress, but
was relatively unrelated to other measures of well-being.
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