Expectancy violations and the search for meaning among breast cancer survivors

Meaning and purpose in life, happiness, and life satisfaction in cancer: Systematic review with meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To summarize current evidence on the potential cross-sectional and longitudinal association between meaning or purpose in life and subjective happiness or life satisfaction among cancer patients.

METHODS

A systematic review with meta-analysis and meta-regression was conducted. CINAHL (via EBSCOhost), Embase, PubMed, and PsycINFO (via ProQuest) were searched from inception to 31 December 2022. In addition, manual searches were performed. The risk of bias in cross-sectional and longitudinal studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies and the Quality in Prognosis Studies tool, respectively. Certainty in the evidence was judged using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations approach. Meta-regressions and sensitivity analyses were performed to explore potential sources of heterogeneity.

RESULTS

We included 13 cross-sectional studies, comprising 12 different samples, and a longitudinal study. A total of 4968 individuals with cancer were interviewed across included studies. Certainty in the evidence was judged as very low for all outcomes, which was associated to serious concerns on risk of bias and imprecision of the results, and very serious concerns on indirectness of evidence. The assessed studies showed a marked heterogeneity in terms of participants' clinical (i.e., disease stage) and sociodemographic factors. A lack of reporting of these clinical and sociodemographic aspects were also evident among included studies.

CONCLUSIONS

The wide number of methodological flaws detected in this systematic review preclude to make any clinical recommendation. More rigorous high-quality observational studies should guide future research on this topic.

Psychometric properties and correlates of a brief scale measuring the psychological construct mattering to others in a sample of women recovering from breast cancer

PURPOSE

Mattering to others, or perceiving one is a significant part of the social world, may be important to breast cancer survivors' quality of life. This study examines the reliability and validity of the 5-item general mattering scale (GMS) to assess mattering in breast cancer survivors.

METHODS

A secondary analysis and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed on data from an intervention study with breast cancer survivors that included the GMS and other psychological measures.

RESULTS

The unidimensional representation of the GMS was consistent with the data (χ² = 8.102; df = 4; p = .088). The scale was highly reliable as indicated by McDonald's omega of .84. The scale was significantly correlated with all psychological measures in the predicted direction except anxiety. After controlling for social support, the scale was significantly, positively correlated with functional quality of life, self-esteem, positive affect, and having meaning in life. Mattering was significantly, negatively correlated with searching for meaning. Significantly higher level of mattering was found among married participants and among women who had not obtained psychological therapy.

CONCLUSIONS

The 5-item GMS is a practical, reliable, and valid tool the measuring mattering to others among breast cancer survivors.

The importance of emotional intelligence and meaning in life in psycho-oncology

OBJECTIVE

Cancer was considered the disease of the 20th century, and the management, treatment, and adaptation of patients to general wellbeing were worldwide concerns. Emotional intelligence has frequently been associated with wellbeing and considered one important factor to optimal human functioning. The purpose of the present study was to test the differences regarding the relationship between emotional intelligence, purpose in life, and satisfaction with life between cancer and healthy people.

METHODS

This model was tested using structural path analysis in two independent samples. First, in a general Portuguese population without chronic disease, 214 participants (nmale  = 41, nfemale  = 173; Mage  = 53). Second, in 202 patients with cancer (nmale  = 40, nfemale  = 162; Mage  = 58.65). A two-step methodology was used to test the research hypothesis.

RESULTS

First, a confirmatory factor analysis supported the measurement model. All factors also show reliability, convergent, and discriminate validity. Second, the path coefficients for each model indicate that the proposed relationships differ significantly according to the groups. The perception capacities of emotional intelligence were more related to satisfaction with life and purpose in life in oncologic patients than in the general population without chronic disease, specifically emotional understanding and regulation. Likewise, the relationship between purpose in life and satisfaction with life in oncologic patients was significantly higher than for the general population.

CONCLUSION

The current findings thus suggest that emotional intelligence and purpose in life are potential components to promoting satisfaction in life in healthy people and more so in oncologic patients.