Self-blame attributions in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer: A prospective study of psychological adjustment

Author(s): Compas, B. E.

Journal/Book: Health Psychol. 1999; 18: 750 First St NE, Washington, DC 20002-4242, USA. Amer Psychological Assoc. 475-481.

Abstract: Associations between self-blame and anxiety and depression symptoms in a sample of 76 women with boast cancer were investigated. At diagnosis, behavioral self-blame was associated with increased distress; at 3 months postdiagnosis, characterological self-blame was positively associated with affective symptoms and behavioral self-blame approached significance (p =.07); and at 6 months, behavioral self-blame was related to increased distress. Prospective analyses revealed that characterological self-blame at diagnosis approached significance in predicting distress at 3 months (p =.055) and was significant in predicting distress at 6 months and at 1 year after diagnosis. These data indicate that behavioral self-blame is a correlate of concurrent affective symptoms, whereas characterological self-blame predicts increased distress over time. Implications for social-cognitive processes in adaptation to boast cancer are discussed.

Note: Article Compas BE, Univ Vermont, Dept Psychol, Burlington,VT 05405 USA

Keyword(s): breast cancer; self-blame; psychological distress; stress adaptation; THREATENING EVENTS; DEPRESSION; DISORDERS; ANXIETY; MODEL

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