Resilience and workability among breast cancer survivors

Main Article Content

Rocío Gómez- Molinero
Paula Ruiz-González
Antonio Zayas
Rocío Gil

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most common neoplasia in women worldwide. Medical advances in prognosis and treatments have improved survival rates, however, many women report physical and psychological problems derived from the impact and the administered treatments that can undermine breast cancer survivors’ workability. Given that breast cancer occurs at working age (35-65 years) and due to the importance that work has in their recovery process, it is crucial to determine the psychological resources that breast cancer survivors may use to reestablish their ability to work. In this sense, resilience understood as the ability to successfully adapt in the face of stress and adversity may play an important role. Hence, the aim of this study is to explore resilience levels in breast cancer survivors and to study its relationship with workability. The sample was comprised of 44 breast cancer survivors of Spain, with a mean age of 51.93 (SD = 8.77). Participants completed the Wagnild and Young Resilience Scale (Spanish version adapted by Novella, 2002) and Work Ability Index (WAI, Tuomi et al., 1997).
The results of the descriptive statistics revealed that breast cancer survivors displayed high levels of resilience. Moreover, the results of the Pearson correlation indicated that there was a significant positive association between global resilience and workability (r = .33, p = .03), as well as between the dimensions self-confidence (r = .37, p = .01) and personal satisfaction (r = .33, p = .03). Age did not correlate with resilience nor with workability. Thus, identifying the factors that positively influence breast cancer survivors’ adjustment to working life can help to develop interventions with the aim to restore working ability in this population. Besides, given the importance that return-to-work have in this population, this research may contribute to expanding knowledge regarding the recovery process in breast cancer survivors.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Gómez- Molinero, R., Ruiz-González, P., Zayas, A., & Gil, R. (2019). Resilience and workability among breast cancer survivors. International Journal of Developmental and Educational Psychology. Revista INFAD De Psicología., 4(1), 37–44. https://doi.org/10.17060/ijodaep.2019.n1.v4.1503
Section
Articles
Author Biographies

Rocío Gómez- Molinero, University of Cádiz

Emotional Intelligence Laboratory

Antonio Zayas, University of Cádiz. Research Institute for Sustainable Social Development. INDESS

Emotional Intelligence Laboratory

Rocío Gil, University of Cádiz. Research Institute for Sustainable Social Development INDESS.

Emotional Intelligence Laboratory

References

Alex Linley, P., Joseph, S., Harrington, S., & Wood, A. M. (2006). Positive psychology: Past, present, and (possible) future. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 1(1), 3-16.

Alwan, A. (2011). Global status report on noncommunicable diseases 2010. World Health Organization.

American Psychological Association (2017). The Road to Resilience. Available online at: http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx

Bellizzi, K. M., & Blank, T. O. (2006). Predicting posttraumatic growth in breast cancer survivors. Health Psychology, 25(1), 47.

Campbell, A., Converse, P.E. y Rodgers, W.L. (1976). The quality of American life: perceptions, evaluations and satisfactions. Russel Sage Foundation, New York: Wiley.

Carmona-Torres, J. M., Cobo-Cuenca, A. I., Martín-Espinosa, N. M., Piriz- Campos, R. M., Laredo- Aguilera, J. A., & Rodríguez-Borrego, M. A. (2018). Prevalencia en la realización de mamografías

en España: análisis por comunidades 2006-2014 y factores que influyen. Atención Primaria, 50(4), 228-237.

Chaker, L., Falla, A., van der Lee, S. J., Muka, T., Imo, D., Jaspers, L., ... & Pazoki, R. (2015). The global impact of non-communicable diseases on macro- economic productivity: a systematic review. European Journal of Epidemiology, 30(5), 357-395.

De Boer, A. G. E. M., Verbeek, J. H. A. M., Spelten, E. R., Uitterhoeve, A. L. J., Ansink, A. C., De Reijke, T. M., ... & Van Dijk, F. J. H. (2008). Work ability and return-to-work in cancer patients.

British journal of cancer, 98(8), 1342.

Donovan, A., & Oppenheimer, C. (2014). Science, policy and place in volcanic disasters: insights from Montserrat. Environmental Science & Policy, 39, 150-161.

Dooley, L. N., Slavich, G. M., Moreno, P. I., & Bower, J. E. (2017). Strength through adversity: Moderate lifetime stress exposure is associated with psychological resilience in breast cancer

survivors. Stress and Health, 33(5), 549-557.

Ferro, A., Peleteiro, B., Malvezzi, M., Bosetti, C., Bertuccio, P., Levi, F., ... & Lunet, N. (2014). Worldwide trends in gastric cancer mortality (1980–2011), with predictions to 2015, and incidence

by subtype. European journal of cancer, 50(7), 1330-1344.

Hansen, J. A., Feuerstein, M., Calvio, L. C., & Olsen, C. H. (2008). Breast cancer survivors at work. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 50(7), 777-784.

Ho, P. J., Hartman, M., Gernaat, S. A., Cook, A. R., Lee, S. C., Hupkens, L., & Verkooijen, H. M. (2018). Associations between workability and patient-reported physical, psychological and

social outcomes in breast cancer survivors: a cross-sectional study. Supportive Care in Cancer, 26(8), 2815-2824.

Ilmarinen, J., & Tuomi, K. (1993). Past, present and future of work ability. In Proceedings of the 1st International Symposium on Work Ability, Helsinki.

Lindbohm, M. L., Taskila, T., Kuosma, E., Hietanen, P., Carlsen, K., Gudbergsson, S., & Gunnarsdottir, H. (2012). Work ability of survivors of breast, prostate, and testicular cancer in

Nordic countries: a NOCWO study. Journal of Cancer Survivorship, 6(1), 72-81.

López-Guillén García, A., Pardo, V., & Manuel, J. (2017). Retorno al trabajo tras cáncer de mama. Medicina y Seguridad del Trabajo, 63(246), 51-67.

Novella, A. (2002). Incremento de la resiliencia luego de la aplicación de un programa de psicoterapia breve en madres adolescentes. Tesis para optar el grado de Magíster en Psicología, mención en Psicología clínica y de la salud.

Organización Mundial de la Salud (2002). Manual de instrucciones de la OMS sobre calidad de vida, 61-71: Ginebra. Retrieved from: http://apps.who.int/medicinedocs/pdf/s4930s/s4930s.pdf.

Rutter, M. (1990). Commentary: Some focus and process considerations regarding effects of parental depression on children. Developmental psychology, 26(1), 60.

Salsman, J.M., Segerstrom, S.C., Brechting, E.H., Carlson, C.R., & Andrykowski, M.A. (2008). Posttraumatic growth and PTSD symptomatology among colorectal cancer survivors: A 3-month longitudinal examination of cognitive processing. Psycho-Oncology, 18, 30-41.

Schmidt, M. E., Wiskemann, J., & Steindorf, K. (2018). Quality of life, problems, and needs of disease-free breast cancer survivors 5 years after diagnosis. Quality of Life Research, 27(8), 2077-2086.

Scrignaro, M., Barni, S., & Magrin, M. E. (2011). The combined contribution of social support and coping strategies in predicting post traumatic growth: a longitudinal study on cancer patients.

Psychooncology, 20(8), 823-831.

Sociedad Española de Oncología Médica (2017). Las cifras del cáncer en España.

Tedeschi, R. G., & McNally, R. J. (2011). Can we facilitate posttraumatic growth in combat veterans?. American Psychologist, 66(1), 19.

Tuomi, K., Ilmarinen, J., Martikainen, R., Aalto, L., & Klockars, M. (1997). Aging, work, life-style and work ability among Finnish municipal workers in 1981— 1992. Scandinavian journal of work,

environment & health, 58-65.

Vázquez, C., & Castilla, C. (2007). Emociones positivas y crecimiento postraumático en el cáncer de mama. Psicooncología, 4(2/3), 385.

Wagnild, G., y Young, H. (1993). Development and psychometric. Journal of nursing measurement, 1(2), 165-17847.

Zayas, A. & Guil, R. (2018). El cáncer de mama desde un enfoque biopsicosocial de la salud. Perspectiva salutogénica. Sevilla: Fenix Editora.

Zhang, H., Zhao, Q., Cao, P., & Ren, G. (2017). Resilience and quality of life: Exploring the mediator role of social support in patients with breast cancer. Medical science monitor: international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 23, 5969.