Psychological functioning of daughters of breast cancer patients. Part I: Daughters and comparison subjects.
Sixty daughters of mothers with breast cancer were matched for age, educational level, and race with 60 comparison subjects without a maternal history of breast cancer to assess the impact on psychological adjustment, coping, body image, sexual functioning, and health knowledge and practices of having had a mother with breast cancer. Daughters of breast cancer patients showed significantly less frequent sexual intercourse, lower sexual satisfaction, and greater feelings of vulnerability to breast cancer, and they could identify a greater number of symptoms of breast cancer. No differences between groups were found in psychological symptoms, coping styles, breast self-examination practices, mammography practices, health knowledge, or body-image ratings. Contrary to clinical studies, women at risk for breast cancer showed good overall coping with few signs of significant dysfunctions in relation to comparison subjects.
Wellisch
D K
DK
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles 90024.
Gritz
E R
ER
Schain
W
W
Wang
H J
HJ
Siau
J
J
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000523:psychology*; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009034:Mother-Child Relations; D012307:Risk Factors; D012803:Sick Role