Differential psychological effects of cognitive-behavioral stress management among breast cancer patients with high and low initial cancer-specific distress

Cognitive-behavioral stress management (CBSM) improves adaptation to primary treatment for breast cancer (BCa), evidenced as reductions in distress and increases in positive affect. Because not all BCa patients may need psychosocial intervention, identifying those most likely to benefit is important. A secondary analysis of a previous randomized trial tested whether baseline level of cancer-specific distress moderated CBSM effects on adaptation over 12  months. We hypothesized that patients experiencing the greatest cancer-specific distress in the weeks after surgery would show the greatest CBSM-related effects on distress and affect.
Source: Journal of Psychosomatic Research - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Source Type: research