Item – Theses Canada

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OCLC number
57062912
Link(s) to full text
LAC copy
LAC copy
Author
Strickland, Judith Teresa,1960-
Title
Women's psychosocial adjustment in the post-treatment phase of breast cancer.
Degree
M.N. -- University of New Brunswick, 2003
Publisher
Ottawa : National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, [2004]
Description
2 microfiches.
Notes
Includes bibliographical references.
Abstract
Breast cancer is a devastating disease that can profoundly affect every facet of women's lives including their psychological and cognitive status and their ability to fulfill roles within the family and community (i.e., their psychosocial adjustment). These effects can last long after treatment is over. While considerable research has been conducted on women's psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer, few studies have investigated women's adjustment in the post-treatment phase. If women are to achieve optimal wellness and effectively resume their family and social roles, they need to be supported not only during the diagnostic and treatment phases but also post-treatment. In this descriptive, correlational study, the psychosocial adjustment of 129 women in the post-treatment phase of breast cancer was examined. The explanatory power of three groups of variables--demographic, disease-related, and cognitive appraisal--were investigated using regression analysis. Sixty-two percent of the variance in women's psychosocial adjustment was explained by the complete regression model. The most significant contribution to the model was made by variables measuring women's cognitive appraisal of the disease and their ability to respond. Disease-related characteristics did not make a significant contribution. The relationships observed between women's psychosocial adjustment and their demographic characteristics suggest the existence of a suppressor variable. The results of this study add to the body of knowledge about women's psychosocial adjustment in the post-treatment phase.
ISBN
0612875504
9780612875500