TitleDaily well-being of cancer survivors: the role of somatic amplification.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2014
AuthorsBarrineau, MJon, Zarit, SH, King, HA, Costanzo, ES, Almeida, DM
JournalPsychooncology
Volume23
Issue9
Pagination1027-33
Date Published2014 Sep
ISSN1099-1611
KeywordsActivities of Daily Living, Adult, Affect, Case-Control Studies, Female, Health Status, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Neoplasms, Personal Satisfaction, Quality of Life, Risk Factors, Severity of Illness Index, Sick Role, Somatoform Disorders, Stress, Psychological, Survivors, United States
Abstract

<p><b>OBJECTIVE: </b>The current study examined the role that somatic amplification plays in placing cancer survivors at an increased risk of impairments in daily well-being, specifically severity of physical symptoms, positive affect and negative affect.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>Participants were drawn from Midlife Development in the United States National Study of daily health and well-being (MIDUS) and the National Study of Daily Experiences (NSDE, Project 2). One hundred eleven individuals with a cancer history were compared with a matched comparison group of individuals who did not have a cancer history.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>Results show that across both groups, somatic amplification is associated with higher negative affect and higher severity of physical symptoms. However, results also show that a somatic amplification by cancer status interaction predicts severity of physical symptoms. The significant interaction indicates that in the comparison group, level of physical symptom severity is the same regardless of whether the individual is high or low on somatic amplification. However, in the group of individuals with a cancer history, individuals who are high on somatic amplification report more severe physical symptoms than individuals who are low on somatic amplification.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>These findings suggest that heightened attention to minor bodily symptoms impacts individuals with a cancer history differently than individuals who have not experienced cancer, and therefore, may have important implications for the manner in which continued care is provided to cancer survivors.</p>

DOI10.1002/pon.3509
Alternate JournalPsychooncology
PubMed ID24615865
PubMed Central IDPMC4145042
Grant ListP01-AG020166 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
K07 CA136966 / CA / NCI NIH HHS / United States
UL1 TR000427 / TR / NCATS NIH HHS / United States
R01-AG019239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG020166 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG019239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States