Date of Award

Summer 2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Committee Chairperson

Stevie Grassetti, PhD

Committee Member

Lauren Brumley, PhD

Committee Member

Angela Clarke, PhD

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Diagnosis and treatment can be traumatic, leading to declining physical and psychological health, but also a process of psychological evolution known as post-traumatic growth (PTG). Self-efficacy is a factor that is associated with positive outcomes in breast cancer, including emotional well-being and post-traumatic growth. The purpose of this study was to examine changes across 6-months in biopsychosocial variables (self-efficacy, PTG, and emotional well-being), as well as the relationships between these variables, in an effort to identify areas for intervention early in breast cancer treatment to promote positive mental health later in treatment and beyond. Additionally, we aimed to examine whether health factors (pain & age) that are commonly associated with cancer outcomes might moderate any relationships found between main study variables. A sample of 51 women who had recently been diagnosed with breast cancer were surveyed across two time points (baseline, 6-month follow-up). Self-efficacy, PTG, and emotional well-being unexpectedly stayed relatively stable across the 6-month span. We found a relationship between baseline self-efficacy and emotional well-being at 6-month follow-up. No other baseline variables predicted for 6-month mental health outcomes. Neither pain nor age were found to be moderators. Post-hoc analyses examining the impact of pain and age showed additional clinically relevant findings. The information gained from this study provides insight on what psychological outcomes might be targeted shortly after treatment and questions to be answered in future research.

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