title: Attribution of blame, self-forgiving attitude and psychological adjustment in women with breast cancer.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among self-blame for developing breast cancer, a self-forgiving attitude, mood, and quality of life among women with breast cancer. In this cross-sectional study, 123 women with Stages 0-III breast cancer completed questionnaires measuring demographic and medical characteristics, self-blame, self-forgiveness, mood, and quality of life. Women who blamed themselves reported more mood disturbance (p <or= .001) and poorer quality of life (p < .001) than those who did not blame themselves. Mediational analyses revealed that self-blame for cancer partially mediated the relationships between a self-forgiving attitude and both mood disturbance and quality of life (Z = -2.72, p = .006 and Z = -2.89, p = .004, respectively). Patients may benefit from a discussion with their oncologists and other healthcare providers about self-forgiveness and the potential benefits of reducing self-blame to facilitate adjustment to breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA. lois.friedman@uhhospitals.org
authors.forename: Lois C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Friedman
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Elledge
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Mamta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kalidas
authors.forename: Mario F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Dulay
authors.forename: Garrett R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: C Kent
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Osborne
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006167:Guilt; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life; D012649:Self Concept; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires