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Published on: May 19, 2015
Trait mindfulness, repression, suppression, and self-reported mood and stress symptoms among women with breast cancer
Rie Tamagawa1, Janine Giese-Davis, Michael Speca
1University of Calgary, Tom Baker Cancer Centre, Alberta, Canada. rie.tamagawa@albertahealthservices.ca
Objective:
This study sought to identify relationships between trait mindfulness, repressive, and suppressive emotional styles, and the relative importance of these traits in their association with self-reported psychological health among women with breast cancer.
Method:
Of the 277 women with breast cancer accrued in the study, 227 (81.9%) completed a set of questionnaires assessing personality traits, stress symptoms, and mood.
Results:
High levels of mindfulness were associated with fewer stress-related symptoms and less mood disturbance, while high levels of suppression were associated with poorer self-reported health.
Conclusion:
Individuals' dispositional ways to manage negative emotions were associated with the experience of symptoms and aversive moods. Helping patients cultivate mindful insights and reduce deliberate emotional inhibition may be a useful focus for psycho-oncological interventions.
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