An evaluation of the absolute and relative stability of alexithymia in women with breast cancer.

Objectives: In the controversy for alexithymia as a state or a trait dimension, recent studies showed that, whereas absolute changes (i.e., extent of alexithymia scores change over time) were observed, alexithymia was relatively stable (i.

Coping and adapting to breast cancer: a six-month prospective study.

Aims: To compare ways of coping with breast cancer in acute and chronic periods and to approach their efficiency on psychological adaptation at each time.

Methods: Psychometric evaluation of 151 breast cancer women the day before surgery (T1), and of 107 of them 6 months later (T2), with self-rated questionnaires (CHIP Scale, HADS), "t Student" tests, correlation analyses and multiple regression analyses.

Results And Discussion: The coping scores during the chronic period are related to those observed during the acute period, with a decrease of instrumental strategies and a stability of distraction and palliative coping.

[Cancer, a defect of the psyche?].

Patients and families often put forward psychosocial determinants to explain occurring or progression of cancer disease. The idea of a psychogenesis in cancer is widely spread by the surrounding culture. Nevertheless, the scientific research in this field brought very contradictory results, and often rests on debatable methods.