OBJECTIVES: This study examines the links between attachment, adaptation to breast cancer, and the mediating role played by emotional regulation processes. METHODS: Participants were 127 women with breast cancer recruited in two public hospitals of Porto and at the Portuguese Cancer League. Women completed measures of attachment, quality of life, and emotion regulation. Path models were used to examine the associations between the constructs and to test the mediational hypotheses. RESULTS: Significant associations were found between attachment and adaptation. Dimensions of emotion regulation totally or partially mediated the associations between attachment and adaptation outcomes. Attachment security effects on interpersonal relations were totally mediated by communicating emotions. Also, attachment anxiety effect on physical well-being was totally mediated by rumination. Attachment avoidance effects on psychological outcomes were totally mediated by emotional control and partially mediated by communicating emotions for the case of interpersonal relations. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of addressing emotional regulation jointly with attachment to deepen the comprehension of the relational processes implicated in adaptation to breast cancer. Results supported a mediational hypothesis, presenting emotional regulation processes as relevant dimensions for the understanding of attachment associations with adaptation to breast cancer.
OBJECTIVES: This study examines the links between attachment, adaptation to breast cancer, and the mediating role played by emotional regulation processes. METHODS:Participants were 127 women with breast cancer recruited in two public hospitals of Porto and at the Portuguese Cancer League. Women completed measures of attachment, quality of life, and emotion regulation. Path models were used to examine the associations between the constructs and to test the mediational hypotheses. RESULTS: Significant associations were found between attachment and adaptation. Dimensions of emotion regulation totally or partially mediated the associations between attachment and adaptation outcomes. Attachment security effects on interpersonal relations were totally mediated by communicating emotions. Also, attachment anxiety effect on physical well-being was totally mediated by rumination. Attachment avoidance effects on psychological outcomes were totally mediated by emotional control and partially mediated by communicating emotions for the case of interpersonal relations. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the importance of addressing emotional regulation jointly with attachment to deepen the comprehension of the relational processes implicated in adaptation to breast cancer. Results supported a mediational hypothesis, presenting emotional regulation processes as relevant dimensions for the understanding of attachment associations with adaptation to breast cancer.
Authors: Michael Kusch; Hildegard Labouvie; Vera Schiewer; Natalie Talalaev; Jan C Cwik; Sonja Bussmann; Lusine Vaganian; Alexander L Gerlach; Antje Dresen; Natalia Cecon; Sandra Salm; Theresia Krieger; Holger Pfaff; Clarissa Lemmen; Lisa Derendorf; Stephanie Stock; Christina Samel; Anna Hagemeier; Martin Hellmich; Bernd Leicher; Gregor Hültenschmidt; Jessica Swoboda; Peter Haas; Anna Arning; Andrea Göttel; Kathrin Schwickerath; Ullrich Graeven; Stefanie Houwaart; Hedy Kerek-Bodden; Steffen Krebs; Christiana Muth; Christina Hecker; Marcel Reiser; Cornelia Mauch; Jennifer Benner; Gerdamarie Schmidt; Christiane Karlowsky; Gisela Vimalanandan; Lukas Matyschik; Lars Galonska; Annette Francke; Karin Osborne; Ursula Nestle; Markus Bäumer; Kordula Schmitz; Jürgen Wolf; Michael Hallek Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2022-04-22 Impact factor: 2.908