title: Being positive despite illness: The contribution of positivity to the quality of life of cancer patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to examine the longitudinal relationship between Positivity (POS), defined as a stable disposition to view at experience under a positive outlook, and physical and psychological functioning in a sample of cancer patients immediately after diagnosis and one year later.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 110 patients (40% males) with pulmonary, colorectal and breast cancer, aged 30-75 (M age = 59.62; SD = 10.33), have been prospectively enrolled between 2012 and 2013, at the S. Andrea Hospital in Rome. All patients were previously aware of their diagnosis. A follow-up one year after diagnosis was conducted. We used structural equation modeling in order to analyse the specific effects of POS on functioning impairment from diagnosis to follow up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  POS was associated with less functioning impairment both at diagnosis and follow-up assessments. Furthermore, POS level at diagnosis continued to be associated with less functioning impairment one year later, after controlling for its stability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with higher level of POS tended to report less symptoms associated with negative affect such as anxiety and despondency and to preserve their habitual relationships and social roles. POS may act as a basic disposition that sustains patients' efforts to deal efficaciously with severe illness, by complying with medical treatment and using cognitive strategies that enable individuals to cope with concurrent and prospective challenges of illness.
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Vittorio
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Caprara
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Castellani
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alessandri
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mazzuca
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: La Torre
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbaranelli
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Colaiaco
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gerbino
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pasquali
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Amelio
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.affiliation: a Faculty of Medicine & Psychology , Sapienza University of Rome , Rome , Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ziparo
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D000067656:Optimism; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: cancer patients; follow-up study; positivity functioning impairment