Satisfaction with health care, psychological adjustment, and community esteem among breast cancer survivors.

The present survey study examines whether satisfaction with health care predicts breast cancer patients' psychological adjustment and esteem for their communities. Forty-nine women undergoing radiation therapy for breast cancer completed measures of satisfaction with health care, psychological well-being, community esteem, depression, perceived health status, and demographics. As predicted, the results showed that breast cancer survivors' satisfaction with their health care was predictive of their psychological well-being even when controlling for relevant variables such as depression and health status. Also, breast cancer survivors' satisfaction with their health care predicted their level of community esteem. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for the psychological adjustment of breast cancer survivors.