The Stress Process and Well-Being in Breast Cancer: The Mediating Role of Hope and Zest

The extent to which breast cancer impacts well-being depends on the patient's psychosocial resources for coping with the stressors the illness entails. Recent research has shown that character strengths, such as hope and zest, play a role in the life satisfaction of breast cancer patients, although the underlying mechanisms are yet to be explored. This study, involving 173 Spanish women with breast cancer, analyses the mediating role of hope and zest in the association between illness-specific stressors and 2 indicators of well-being, namely life satisfaction and flourishing. Both hope and zest were positively correlated with life satisfaction and flourishing, and negatively with stressors. Mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between stressors and the 2 indicators of well-being is mediated by both these character strengths. These results suggest that a lack of hope and zest is one mechanism through which stress may diminish well-being, whereas high levels of these character strengths may buffer the impact of stressors and improve well-being in breast cancer patients. Psycho-oncologists are encouraged to develop effective psychological interventions to promote these strengths in women with breast cancer.