title: The role of the self in adjustment to cancer in elderly women.
abstract: One way that people may adjust to illness is through a redefinition of the self, especially with respect to the relationship between ideal self and actual self. To investigate psychological adjustment in community-dwelling elderly women, women with cancer (n = 17) were compared to women with other health problems (n = 30) based on measures of psychological distress and well-being, actual self, ideal self, and the discrepancy between actual self and ideal self. Women with cancer scored no differently than other women on measures of psychological well-being, psychological distress, and actual self, but their ideal-self ratings were lower. The positive adjustment of women with cancer may be the result of their ability to lower their ideal-self expectations, thereby reducing self-discrepancies that can result in psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Nursing.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Heidrich
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Ward
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012649:Self Concept; D012803:Sick Role; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires