PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

I Schou

Publications and source records attributed to I Schou.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

The mediating role of appraisal and coping in the relationship between optimism-pessimism and quality of life.

Longitudinal data from 165 women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer were used to investigate if the relationship between optimism-pessimism and quality of life (QOL) is attributed to the appraisal and coping strategies. The women completed the Life Orientation Test-Revised (LOT-R), as a measurement of optimism-pessimism, the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) Scale, as a measure for coping, a VAS for appraisal and the EORTC QLQ-C30, as a measure for QOL at two time points: at diagnosis and 12-months after breast cancer surgery. Optimism-pessimism had both a direct and indirect influence on QOL. Two coping strategies were particularly strong mediators for the indirect influence: fighting spirit and hopeless/helpless. Optimists responded with fighting spirit, which had a positive effect on their QOL. On the other hand, pessimists responded with hopeless/helplessness, which had a negative effect on their QOL. The relationship between pessimism and QOL at time of diagnosis was also mediated by appraisal, such as threat. The two coping strategies remained fairly stable over the 12 months within the optimists and pessimists.The results suggest that the influence of optimism and pessimism on QOL appears to be mediated by coping both before and after treatment for breast cancer. Fighting spirit and hopeless/helplessness appear to reflect the characteristic coping strategies for optimists and pessimists.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2004

Pessimism as a predictor of emotional morbidity one year following breast cancer surgery.

The prevalence of and predictive factors for emotional morbidity (measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD)) one year following surgery, with special focus on dispositional optimism/pessimism (measured by the Life Orientation Test (LOT-R), was examined in 165 women, newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Patients characteristics, appraisal of cancer diagnosis, beliefs about treatment efficacy, treatment decision-making participation, coping and emotional morbidity was assessed by self-rating questionnaires. Prevalence of anxiety and depression cases at time of diagnosis was 34 and 12%, respectively, and 26 and 9% after one year. Prevalence of emotional morbidity was significantly enlarged among pessimists at all assessments. Pessimism was the strongest predictor for anxiety (OR: 0.86 C.I. 95% 0.77 - 0.95) and depression (OR: 0.83, C.I. 95% 0.73 - 0.95) one year following breast cancer surgery. Optimists and pessimists differed not only in regard to coping styles, but also in regards to predictors of emotional morbidity. Optimists experiencing anxiety at time of breast cancer diagnosis had about six times higher risk of experiencing anxiety after one year, compared to optimists without preoperative anxiety. For pessimists, the more pessimistic one was about one's overall future the higher risk for developing anxiety following one year of breast cancer surgery. Pessimists, who endorse helpless/hopeless coping style when receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer, had three times greater risk for experiencing depression one year after breast cancer surgery, than pessimists who did not. Health care professionals should therefore provide intervention for pessimists, as well as for patients with high anxiety scores at time of diagnosis.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2002

Do women newly diagnosed with breast cancer and consulting surgeon assess decision-making equally?

This study assesses the perception of the decision-making process of 25 surgeons and 194 patients (aged 21-81 years) who had newly diagnosed breast cancer and had to undergo mastectomy or breast-conserving surgery (BCS). The majority of women wanted to participate in decision-making. When it was medically possible to give a choice between BCS and mastectomy, only 59% of women received a choice. The main reason that 11% of the women went against surgeon's recommendations was fear of cancer recurrence. The most influential factors for women were the surgeon's recommendation, and fear of cancer recurrence. Medical assessment and the cosmetic result were the most influential factors for the surgeons. Female surgeons were more influenced by their assessment of the women's need for security, than male. In conclusion, not all women who are eligible for BCS receive an option. Women and surgeons emphasize influencing factors differently. The surgeon's gender was found to influence recommendation given.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1999

[Follow-up of women surgically treated for breast cancer].

From May 1997, all breast cancer patients who had undergone ablatio were asked to contact their general practitioner for follow-up after six months. Evaluation of the method used was performed by means of a questionnaire sent to 148 women. At the same time report forms returned from the general practitioners were registered. 132 women returned the questionnaires (89%). Only seven women (5%) had not contacted their general practitioner. 117 women (89%) had been or were summoned to their general practitioner. This shows that general practitioners take responsibility for follow-up when the women get in touch. We received 52 (58%) report forms from the general practitioners. The reason for this low response rate among the general practitioners might be inadequate motivation.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Minimally invasive therapy in Denmark.

Minimally invasive therapy (MIT) is beginning to have impacts on health care in Denmark, although diffusion has been delayed compared to diffusion in other European countries. Now policy makers are beginning to appreciate the potential advantages in terms of closing hospitals and shifting treatment to the out-patient setting, and diffusion will probably go faster in the future. Denmark does not have a system for technology assessment, neither central nor regional, and there is no early warning mechanism to survey international developments. This implies lack of possibilities for the planning of diffusion, training, and criteria for treatment.

Denmark↗