Illness Perceptions in Women with Breast Cancer-a Systematic Literature Review
- PMID: 26316925
- PMCID: PMC4546700
- DOI: 10.1007/s12609-015-0187-y
Illness Perceptions in Women with Breast Cancer-a Systematic Literature Review
Abstract
Women with breast cancer respond to the illness and its medical management in their own personal way. Their coping behavior and self-management are determined by their views (cognitions) and feelings (emotions) about symptoms and illness: their illness perceptions. This paper reports the results of a systematic literature review of illness perceptions and breast cancer. In the 12 studies identified, published between 2012 and 2015, illness perceptions were found to be important concomitants of medical and behavioral outcomes: fear of recurrence, distress, quality of life, satisfaction with medical care, use of traditional healers, and risk perception. Intervention studies are called for where the effects are examined of replacing unhelpful illness perceptions by more constructive ones. Health care providers do well by incorporating illness perceptions in their care for women with breast cancer, as this is instrumental in improving patients' quality of life.
Keywords: Breast cancer; Cognitions; Emotions; Illness perceptions; Quality of life; Systematic literature review.
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References
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- Stagl JM, Bouchard LC, Lechner SC, et al. Long-term psychological benefits of cognitive-behavioral stress management for women with breast cancer: 11-year follow-up of a randomized controlled trial. Cancer. 2015;121:1873–81. Very long-term study demonstrating the positive effects of CBT. - PMC - PubMed
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- Fischer MJ, Wiesenhaan ME, Does–den Heijer A. From despair to hope: a longitudinal study of illness perceptions and coping in a psycho-educational group intervention for women with breast cancer. Br J Health Psychol. 2013;18:526–45. Study illustrating the value of addressing coping and illness perceptions, in a longitudinal study. - PubMed
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- Kleinman A. The illness narratives. suffering, healing & the human condition. New York: Basic Books; 1988.
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