title: Illness centrality, disclosure, and well-being in younger and middle-aged adult cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cancer survivorship is often linked with identity reconstruction, and the extent to which individuals identify with their cancer experience may be an important aspect of their adjustment to longer-term cancer survivorship. However, little is known about the extent to which cancer is central to one's identity or the relations of centrality of cancer to identity with well-being. Further, the impact of cancer identity centrality might be moderated by the extent to which survivors openly disclose their survivorship status. The present study examined centrality of cancer and well-being along with the potential moderation effect of disclosure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a cross-sectional design, 167 participants (cancer survivors aged 18-55, diagnosed 1-3 years prior) completed measures of demographics, centrality of cancer identity, openness/disclosure, and well-being (including health-related quality of life [HRQOL], positive and negative affect, intrusive thoughts, life satisfaction, and post-traumatic growth).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cancer identity centrality was fairly low while disclosure/openness was fairly high. In regression analyses, centrality was adversely related to most measures of well-being, except unrelated to physical HRQOL and post-traumatic growth. Openness/disclosure about cancer survivorship status was positively related to most measures of well-being but did not moderate relationships between centrality and well-being.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support the notion that both cancer identity centrality and openness/disclosure are important aspects of the cancer survivorship experience that may impact well-being and warrant further research.
authors: Psychology Department, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA. crystal.park@uconn.edu
authors: Crystal L
authors: CL
authors: Park
authors: Anusuya K
authors: AK
authors: Bharadwaj
authors: Thomas O
authors: TO
authors: Blank
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003237:Connecticut; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*; D014342:Truth Disclosure; D055815:Young Adult