title: Depression, anxiety and positive affect in people diagnosed with low-grade tumours: the role of illness perceptions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  People with low-grade brain tumour experience a range of emotional, behavioural and psychosocial consequences. Using Leventhal's self-regulation model to explore biopsychosocial factors associated with distress, we examine the relationships between illness perceptions, coping and depression, anxiety and positive affect.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional, self-report study in which 74 people (54% women) diagnosed with a low-grade brain tumour completed the Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised was conducted. Mean time since diagnosis was 27.69 months (SD = 19.79). Mean age was 38.30 years (SD = 10.67). The Illness Perceptions Questionnaire-Revised, in addition to clinical, demographic and coping variables previously associated with psychological distress, was used to predict three psychological outcomes: depression, anxiety and positive affect.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hierarchical multiple regression analyses demonstrated that a biopsychosocial causal attribution was a significant predictor of anxiety and depression. Illness identity also emerged as a significant predictor of depression scores. Coping through self-blame was the only coping variable to emerge as a significant predictor of anxiety scores. A combination of coping through venting, acceptance, positive reframing, denial, behavioural disengagement and self-blame contributed to the variance in all three psychological outcome scores. No illness perception variables significantly predicted positive affect.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Illness perceptions play a significant role in emotional distress experienced by people with low-grade brain tumours. Illness perceptions did not play a significant role in positive affect. Coping variables were shown to significantly contribute to the scores on all three psychological outcomes. Results suggest interventions targeted at modifying illness perceptions and enhancing problem-focused coping strategies may reduce psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Preston, UK. melanie.keeling@lthtr.nhs.uk
authors.forename: Melanie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Keeling
authors.forename: Jacki
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bambrough
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simpson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003863:Depression / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017567:Karnofsky Performance Status; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010465:Perception; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom