Holding back sharing concerns, dispositional emotional expressivity, perceived unsupportive responses and distress among women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancers.

OBJECTIVE: Little attention has been paid to the role of holding back sharing concerns in the psychological adaptation of women newly diagnosed with gynecological cancers. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the role of holding back concerns in psychosocial adjustment and quality of life, as well as a possible moderating role for emotional expressivity and perceived unsupportive responses from family and friends. METHOD: Two hundred forty-four women diagnosed with gynecological cancer in the past 8 months completed measures of holding back, dispositional emotional expressivity, perceived unsupportive responses from family and friends, cancer-specific distress, depressive symptoms and quality of life. RESULTS: Emotional expressivity moderated the association between holding back and cancer-specific distress and quality of life, but not depressive symptoms. Greater holding back was more strongly associated with higher levels of cancer-related distress among women who were more emotionally expressive than among women who were less expressive. Perceived unsupportive responses did not moderate the associations between holding back and psychosocial outcomes. CONCLUSION: Holding back sharing concerns was more common in this patient population than other cancer populations. Dispositional expressivity played a role in how harmful holding back concerns was for women, while unsupportive responses from family and friends did not.

Cancer-related concerns among women with a new diagnosis of gynecological cancer: an exploration of age group differences.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to characterize cancer-related concerns among women with a new diagnosis of gynecological cancer from a developmental life stage perspective. The study compared the degree of cancer-related concern between young women (45 years or younger), middle age women (46-64 years), and older women (65 years or older). MATERIALS/METHODS: Data from women (N = 243) with a condition diagnosed as primary gynecological cancer who were participating in a randomized control trial were analyzed. Women completed a measure that assessed the degree of concern in 12 cancer-related domains (physical functioning, cancer treatment, emotional functioning, sexual functioning, disease progression/death, own well-being, partner well-being, relationship with spouse/partner, body image, relationship with others, employment, and finances). Multivariate comparisons were made between the 3 age groups on the cancer-related concerns. RESULTS: There were age group differences in overall cancer-related concern and specific cancer-related domains. Young women reported the greatest cancer-related concern (P < 0.001). They reported greater concern over emotional functioning (P < 0.001) and sexual functioning (P < 0.001) compared to the middle- and older-age groups. Older women reported less concern over the impact of cancer on finances (P = 007). There were no differences between age groups in concern over physical impairment, cancer treatment, disease progression/death, own well-being, partner well-being, relationship with spouse/partner, body image, and relationship with others. CONCLUSIONS: Age may play an important role in the impact of a gynecological cancer diagnosis in domains of functioning, specifically emotional functioning, sexual functioning, and finances. Other cancer-related areas may represent more universal degree of impact. Professionals may benefit from considering the impact of cancer from a developmental life stage perspective.