Emotional control and autonomic arousal in breast cancer patients

Thirty breast cancer patients and 27 “healthy” controls were compared for differences in personality, reported emotional state and autonomic responses occurring under conditions of acute experimental stress. The data indicated that breast cancer patients were more likely than a control group to repo...

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Veröffentlicht in:Journal of psychosomatic research 1984, Vol.28 (6), p.467-474
Hauptverfasser: Watson, Maggie, Pettingale, Keith W., Greer, Steven
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:Thirty breast cancer patients and 27 “healthy” controls were compared for differences in personality, reported emotional state and autonomic responses occurring under conditions of acute experimental stress. The data indicated that breast cancer patients were more likely than a control group to report a tendency to control emotional reactions, particularly anger, and to respond to stress using a repressive coping style. Emotional state reported at different points throughout the procedure suggested that the breast cancer group experienced more anxiety and disturbance but were more inclined to inhibit their reaction. There were no differences between the groups on autonomic measures but within the breast cancer group increased electrodermal activity was significantly associated with a tendency to respond to stress using a repressive coping style. The results are discussed in relation to psychobiological models of cancer.
ISSN:0022-3999
1879-1360
DOI:10.1016/0022-3999(84)90080-1