title: The association between self-consciousness about appearance and psychological adjustment among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients and survivors: the moderating role of appearance investment.
abstract: This study examined the moderating role of two facets of appearance investment (self-evaluative salience (SES) and motivational salience (MS)) in the relationship between self-consciousness about appearance and psychological adjustment (depression, anxiety and psychological quality of life (QoL)) in a sample of 134 breast cancer patients (68 newly diagnosed patients and 66 survivors). No significant differences were found between groups on body image variables. Among survivors, the associations between self-consciousness about appearance and the outcome variables were only significant at high (depression, psychological QoL) levels and at moderate (psychological QoL) levels of SES. Self-consciousness about appearance contributed to poor adjustment in both groups. This study demonstrates that appearance investment plays a key role in patients' adjustment and highlights the SES-MS distinction. SES seems to be a vulnerability factor for poor adjustment, and MS seems to be a protective factor that helps women cope with changes in appearance.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Coimbra, Rua do Colégio Novo, Apartado 6153, 3001-802 Coimbra, Portugal. hmoreira@fpce.uc.pt
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Maria Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Canavarro
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D001828:Body Image; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D003243:Consciousness; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*