A structural model of the relationships between perceived control and adaptation to illness in women with breast cancer

Abstract

Objectives: To examine whether perceived control produces better adaptation to illness in breast cancer patients in stages I or II.

Design: Longitudinal, 1-year following study.

Methods: One hundred and one women were assessed on five occasions: one week after surgery, and again 1, 3, 6 and 12 months later, using, among other measures, the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results: Structural equation models confirmed that patients with higher perceived control showed better adaptation to illness in all five assessments.

Conclusions: These data fit well with previous research and suggest that psychological interventions which emphasize a sense of personal control would be effective in enhancing well-being in breast cancer patients at the early stages.