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Assessing the psychological predictors of benefit finding in patients with head and neck cancer

  1. Carrie D. Llewellyn1,*,
  2. Debbie J. Horney1,
  3. Mark McGurk2,
  4. John Weinman3,
  5. Jim Herold4,
  6. Keith Altman4,
  7. Helen E. Smith1

Article first published online: 14 SEP 2011

DOI: 10.1002/pon.2065

Issue

Psycho‐Oncology

Psycho-Oncology

Volume 22, Issue 1, pages 97–105, January 2013

Additional Information

How to Cite

Llewellyn, C. D., Horney, D. J., McGurk, M., Weinman, J., Herold, J., Altman, K. and Smith, H. E. (2013), Assessing the psychological predictors of benefit finding in patients with head and neck cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 22: 97–105. doi: 10.1002/pon.2065

Author Information

  1. 1

    Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Division of Primary Care and Public Health, Brighton, UK

  2. 2

    Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals NHS Trust, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Guy's Hospital, London, UK

  3. 3

    Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Psychology, King's College London, Guy's Hospital, London, UK

  4. 4

    Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, The Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, UK

*Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Division of Primary Care and Public Health, Room 321 Mayfield House, Brighton, BN1 9PH UK. E-mail: C.D.Llewellyn@bsms.ac.uk

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 4 JAN 2013
  2. Article first published online: 14 SEP 2011
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 10 AUG 2011
  4. Manuscript Revised: 7 JUL 2011
  5. Manuscript Received: 22 FEB 2011

Funded by

  • Cancer Research UK. Grant Number: C24857/A8586

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Keywords:

  • cancer;
  • oncology;
  • benefit finding;
  • adaptation;
  • coping;
  • optimism

Abstract

Background

Some individuals are able to gain psychological benefits from illness and adversity, such as a greater sense of purpose and closer relationships, termed ‘benefit finding’ (BF). The main aim of this study was to explore the extent to which BF is reported in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Secondary aims were to establish the relationships between BF, other patient-reported outcomes and predictive factors such as coping strategy and level of optimism.

Methods

This repeat measures study was conducted with 103 newly diagnosed patients with HNC. Self-completion questionnaires were used to assess BF pre-treatment and 6 months after treatment and pre-treatment coping, optimism, quality of life, anxiety and depression. Sixty-eight patients (66%) completed follow-ups.

Results

Moderate to high levels of BF were reported. Anxiety, depression and quality of life were not related to BF. Regression models of BF total score and three new factor analysed BF scales indicated that use of emotional support and active coping strategies were predictive of finding more positive consequences. Optimism, living with a partner and higher educational attainment were also found to have a protective effect. The amount of variance in BF explained by these five pre-treatment factors ranged from 32 to 46%.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that both dispositional and potentially modifiable factors, in particular optimism and coping strategies, were associated with patients identifying positive consequences of a diagnosis of HNC. To maximise patient's longer-term resilience and adaptation, components of BF, either directly or via coping strategies, could be targeted for intervention. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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