Past research in the area of psycho-oncology has largely focused on the negative consequences of being diagnosed with cancer. A diagnosis of cancer, for example, has been associated with an adverse impact on both physical and mental health However, there are also reports that people seek to make sense of traumatic experiences and that some people derive benefits. How individuals search for meaning in life following a diagnosis of cancer and their ability to derive benefits from their experience is an emerging area of research. The proposed study will use a longitudinal design to examine the antecedents and consequences of the search for meaning and benefit finding over time among individuals diagnosed with cancer. Participants will be 100 men and women diagnosed with lung or colorectal cancer. In Phase 1, participants will be visited in their homes and study measures will be obtained using an interview format. In Phases 2 and 3, study measures will be obtained using a telephone-interview format. These findings may ultimately aid in the development of theoretically-based intervention programs to enhance quality of life of cancer survivors.
| Helgeson, Vicki S; Tomich, Patricia L (2005) Surviving cancer: a comparison of 5-year disease-free breast cancer survivors with healthy women. Psychooncology 14:307-17 |
| Tomich, Patricia L; Helgeson, Vicki S (2004) Is finding something good in the bad always good? Benefit finding among women with breast cancer. Health Psychol 23:16-23 |
