Abstract

Positive outcomes, such as greater meaning in life, have been identified in cancer survivors. A pilot study identified that presence or absence of children may be an important contributor to the observed high variances on measures of personal meaning, perceived stress, and psychological distress in breast cancer survivors; in addition, significant relationships among these variables were found. Based on pilot study findings and using an integration of existential, stress-coping, and psychoneuroimmunology perspectives, the purpose of this study was to identify differences between women with a history of breast cancer who have children and those who do not on measures of personal meaning, perceived stress, psychological distress, and immune function; and to examine interrelationships among these variables. This cross-sectional, two-group design study included a convenience sample of 35 breast cancer survivors, 22 with children group (WCG) and 13 no children group (NCG).

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 9728868; ProQuest document ID: 304394855. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Susan M. Bauer-Wu, DNSc, RN

Sigma Membership

Beta Kappa

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Cross-Sectional

Research Approach

Pilot/Exploratory Study

Keywords:

Impact of Positivity on Health Outcomes, Breast Cancer Survivors, Family Dynamics

Advisor

Carol J. Farran

Degree

Doctoral-Other

Degree Grantor

Rush University

Degree Year

1997

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2020-07-24

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