Personal control after a breast cancer diagnosis: stability and adaptive value.
OBJECTIVE
This longitudinal study aims to gain more insight in both the changes in personal control due to a breast cancer diagnosis, as well as in the stress-buffering effect of personal control.


METHODS
Personal control and distress were assessed in breast cancer patients not treated with chemotherapy (n=47), breast cancer patients treated with chemotherapy (n=32) and in healthy women (n=58) at 3, 9 and 15 months after diagnosis.


RESULTS
Results indicate that personal control was affected only in patients treated with chemotherapy, particularly right after the completion of treatment. Furthermore, the cross-sectional and longitudinal results provide modest support for the stress-buffering potential of control.


CONCLUSIONS
The findings and future directions of research on the role of personal control in the adjustment to cancer will be discussed.
Henselmans
Inge
I
Department of Health Sciences, Graduate School for Health Research SHARE, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. I.Henselmans@med.umcg.nl
Sanderman
Robbert
R
Baas
Peter C
PC
Smink
Ans
A
Ranchor
Adelita V
AV
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D012044:Regression Analysis
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents