School of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, USA.
Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Ann Behav Med. 2023 Sep 13;57(10):888-898. doi: 10.1093/abm/kaad032.
Breast cancer survivors often experience many somatic and cognitive side effects resulting from their cancer diagnosis and treatment, including higher rates of pain, fatigue, and memory/concentration problems. Emotion regulation offers opportunities to either enhance or dampen physical health.
In a secondary analysis of a double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT) using a typhoid vaccine to assess factors associated with breast cancer survivors' inflammatory responses, we assessed how two specific aspects of emotion regulation, mindfulness, and worry, corresponded to acute changes in focus problems, memory problems, and fatigue along with performance on pain sensitivity and cognitive tasks across two visits among breast cancer survivors.
Breast cancer survivors (N = 149) completed two 8.5-hr visits at a clinical research center. Survivors were randomized to either the vaccine/saline placebo or a placebo/vaccine sequence. Worry and mindfulness questionnaires provided data on trait-level emotion regulation abilities. Fatigue, memory problems, and focus difficulties were assessed via Likert scales six times-once before the injections and then every 90 min for 7.5 hr thereafter. Women also completed a pain sensitivity task and several cognitive tasks at each visit.
Findings from this study showed that breast cancer survivors who worried more and were less mindful experienced subjective memory problems, focus problems, and cold pain sensitivity across two visits and irrespective of injection type. Lower mindfulness also corresponded to higher subjective fatigue and hot pain sensitivity and objective ratings. Emotion regulation skills did not predict objective pain sensitivity or cognitive problems.
Results from this study highlight the benefits of adaptive emotion regulation in helping mitigate symptoms associated with breast cancer survivorship.
乳腺癌幸存者经常经历许多来自癌症诊断和治疗的躯体和认知副作用，包括更高的疼痛、疲劳和记忆/注意力问题发生率。情绪调节提供了增强或减弱身体健康的机会。
在使用伤寒疫苗评估与乳腺癌幸存者炎症反应相关因素的双盲随机对照试验（RCT）的二次分析中，我们评估了情绪调节的两个特定方面，即正念和担忧，如何与乳腺癌幸存者的焦点问题、记忆问题和疲劳的急性变化相对应，以及在两个访视期间的疼痛敏感性和认知任务表现。
乳腺癌幸存者（N=149）在临床研究中心完成了两次 8.5 小时的访视。幸存者被随机分配到疫苗/生理盐水安慰剂或安慰剂/疫苗序列。担忧和正念问卷提供了特质水平情绪调节能力的数据。疲劳、记忆问题和焦点困难通过李克特量表六次评估-在注射前一次，然后在随后的 7.5 小时内每 90 分钟评估一次。女性还在每次访视时完成一项疼痛敏感性任务和几项认知任务。
这项研究的结果表明，更多担忧和更少正念的乳腺癌幸存者在两次访视中经历了主观记忆问题、焦点问题和冷痛敏感性，而与注射类型无关。较低的正念也与更高的主观疲劳和热痛敏感性以及客观评分相对应。情绪调节技能不能预测客观疼痛敏感性或认知问题。
这项研究的结果强调了适应性情绪调节在帮助减轻与乳腺癌生存相关的症状方面的益处。
