Greater Post-Surgical Pain Predicts Long-Term Depressed Affect in Breast Cancer Patients: The Role of Coping.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Background
Depressed affect is observed during primary treatment for early-stage breast cancer and often persists into survivorship. Pain can influence the long-term emotions of women with breast cancer. Behavioral mechanisms explaining this relationship are less clear. Coping during primary treatment may play a role in the association between pain and depressed affect.Aims
Our observational study examined a longitudinal mediation model testing whether post-surgical pain intensity predicted depressed affect 5 years later via disengagement and/or engagement coping at the end of treatment.Method
Women (N = 240) with stage 0-III breast cancer completed measures of pain, coping, and depressed affect 4-10 weeks post-surgery, and 12 months and 5 years later.Results
Structural modeling yielded measurement models of 12-month disengagement and engagement coping. Direct effects emerged between post-surgical pain intensity and 12-month disengagement (β = .37, p < .001) and engagement coping (β = .16, p < .05). Post-surgical pain intensity was also related to 5-year depressed affect (β = .25, p < .05). Disengagement and engagement coping were not associated with depressed affect at 5-year follow-up, and there was no evidence of mediation.Limitations
This is a secondary analysis of data from a trial conducted several years ago, and may not generalize due to a homogenous sample with attrition at long-term follow-up.Conclusions
Greater post-surgical pain intensity predicts more disengagement and engagement coping at the end of primary treatment, as well as depressed affect during survivorship. Managing post-surgical pain may influence the emotions of survivors of breast cancer up to 5 years later, possibly through coping or non-coping processes.Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Fisher, HM; Taub, CJ; Lechner, SC; Antoni, MH
Published Date
- October 2021
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 28 / 4
Start / End Page
- 171 - 182
PubMed ID
- 36168524
Pubmed Central ID
- PMC9511975
Electronic International Standard Serial Number (EISSN)
- 2512-8450
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 2512-8442
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1027/2512-8442/a000084
Language
- eng