title: The effect of disgust-related side-effects on symptoms of depression and anxiety in people treated for cancer: a moderated mediation model.
abstract: As maladaptive disgust responses are linked to mental health problems, and cancer patients may experience heightened disgust as a result of treatments they receive, we explored the associations between disgust-related side-effects and symptoms of depression and anxiety in people treated for cancer. One hundred and thirty two (83 women, M age = 57.48 years) participants answered questions about their treatments, side-effects, disgust responding, and mental health. Experiencing bowel and/or bladder problems, sickness and/or nausea (referred to here as "core" disgust-related side-effects) was significantly related to greater symptoms of depression and borderline increased anxiety. Further, these links were explained by a moderated mediation model, whereby the effects of core disgust side-effects on depression and anxiety were mediated by (physical and behavioural) self-directed disgust, and disgust propensity moderated the effect of core disgust side-effects on self-disgust. These findings stress the importance of emotional responses, like disgust, in psychological adaptation to the side-effects of cancer treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Economics, InstEAD, University of Sheffield, 9 Mappin Street, Sheffield, S1 4DT, UK. p.a.powell@sheffield.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Philip A
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-1169-3431
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Powell
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Haffiezhah A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Azlan
authors.affiliation: Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Overton
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003863:Depression / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D063189:Symptom Assessment
keywords: Anxiety; Cancer; Depression; Disgust; Self-disgust; Side-effects