Inhibition of emotional expression in breast cancer patients.

To obtain a better understanding of the inhibited emotional expression often reported in breast cancer patients, the authors compared 48 breast cancer patients and 49 healthy women with respect to disturbed emotional processes (alexithymia), emotional disclosure, emotional expression, assertiveness, repression, and distress. The patient group showed significantly more ambivalence over emotional expression, more restraint, and more anxiety than the healthy controls. No differences were found between the 2 groups in alexithymia, expressing emotions in general, or willingness to talk with others about emotions. The image of the breast cancer patient that emerged in the study was that of a person who has conflicting feelings with regard to expressing emotions, is reserved and anxious, is self-effacing, and represses aggression and impulsiveness. These findings suggest that cancer patients' inhibited behavior is a reaction to the disease rather than a reflection of a personality characteristic predisposing an individual to (breast) cancer.