title: Personality and psychological distress among older adult, long-term cancer survivors.
abstract: This research examines a model of how personality (Five-Factor Model) is related to adjustment to cancer in later life in terms of the presence of continuing cancer-related worry and depression among older adult, long-term cancer survivors. Data from an NCI-funded study with 275 older adult (age 60+), long-term (5+ years) survivors of breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer were examined. Regression analyses identified neuroticism as the strongest predictor of cancer-related worry along with continuing cancer-related symptoms. For depression, three personality dimensions (neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness) were significant predictors. Findings suggest the importance of considering the central role that survivors' personality characteristics play in understanding cancer-related worries and depression. Understanding these dispositional characteristics is key for social workers and health-care practitioners in counseling survivors experiencing these common mental health effects.
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Survivors Research Program , Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Gary T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Deimling
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Survivors Research Program , Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Casey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Albitz
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Survivors Research Program , Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Monnin
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Survivors Research Program , Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Holly T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Renzhofer Pappada
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Survivors Research Program , Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nalepa
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Survivors Research Program , Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Melinda Laroco
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.affiliation: a Cancer Survivors Research Program , Case Western Reserve University , Cleveland , OH , USA.
authors.forename: Claire
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D010551:Personality; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: cancer; cancer survivors; cancer worry; depression; personality