title: Relations among optimism, perceived health vulnerability, and academic, self-regulatory, and social self-efficacy in adolescent survivors of childhood cancer.
abstract: This study investigated relations among optimism, perceived health vulnerability, treatment intensity, and academic, self-regulatory, and social self-efficacy in adolescent survivors of childhood cancer. Fifty-six adolescent survivors (Mage = 16.19 years, SD = 2.48) completed questionnaires. Compared to a previously published sample of adolescents without a history of cancer, survivors reported similar academic, higher self-regulatory, and lower social self-efficacy. Optimism and health vulnerability were associated with changes in academic, self-regulatory, and social self-efficacy. Cancer-specific variables (e.g., treatment intensity, time since treatment ended) were unrelated to self-efficacy. Interventions aimed at enhancing self-efficacy may benefit from exploring optimism and health vulnerabilities as mechanisms for change.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , Winona State University , Winona , MN , USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: Claire C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Russell
authors.forename: Robyn
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Bitsko
authors.forename: Kamar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Godder
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stern
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D018570:Risk Assessment; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012919:Social Behavior; D012927:Social Control, Informal; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data