Self-Efficacy, Perceived Preparedness, and Psychological Distress in Women Completing Primary Treatment for Breast Cancer

Abstract

The present analyses were conducted to examine demographic and clinical variables associated with mood and health-related distress in a sample of 440 women completing primary treatment for early-stage breast cancer. The authors’ aim was to test the hypothesis that higher levels of self-efficacy and perceived preparedness for the end of treatment—the reentry phase—are associated with better mood and lower health-related distress in this sample. Women who had received chemotherapy and who were younger (<50 years) had significantly higher mood disturbance and health-related distress scores. Younger age, preparedness, and self-efficacy predicted 36% of the variance in mood disturbance scores. Self-efficacy and age predicted 26% of the variance in health-related distress. Although further research is needed, our findings suggest that self-efficacy and perceived preparedness represent important constructs to target in the development of interventions for women at the reentry transition.

KEYWORDS:

• breast cancer
• cancer survivorship
• self-efficacy
• preparedness
• health-related distress
• mood

This research was supported by the Weekend to End Breast Cancer Innovation Fund, Princess Margaret Hospital. The authors would like to take this opportunity to thank all the women who very generously gave their time to take part in this study. They would also like to thank the clinical and administrative staff in the Breast Clinical and Radiation Medicine program at Princess Margaret Hospital for their support of this study.