JOPHON NCPD (2024 Jan/Feb) - Illness perceptions, fear of cancer recurrence-JOPHON CNE (2024 Jan/Feb) Illness perceptions, fear of cancer recurrence

JOPHON CNE (2024 Jan/Feb) Illness perceptions, fear of cancer recurrence

Pdf Summary

This study examined how illness perceptions (beliefs and emotions about one’s cancer), fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), and mental health relate in adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer survivors—a group with distinct developmental and psychosocial needs but limited prior research in this area. Grounded in the Common-Sense Model of illness self-regulation, the authors hypothesized that higher FCR would be linked to more negative illness perceptions, that both would relate to poorer mental health (anxiety and depression), and that illness perceptions would mediate the relationship between FCR and mental health.<br /><br />Using a cross-sectional online survey, 90 UK-based AYA survivors (ages 16–30; treated between ages 13–24; in remission ≥6 months) completed validated measures: Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory–Short Form (FCRI-SF), PHQ-9 (depression), and GAD-7 (anxiety). Most participants reported clinically elevated FCR (93.3%); 38.9% had moderate/severe anxiety and 35.6% had moderate to severe depression.<br /><br />Results showed that more negative overall illness perceptions were strongly associated with higher FCR and with greater anxiety and depressive symptoms. FCR significantly predicted worse mental health. For depression, overall illness perceptions added predictive value beyond FCR and partially mediated the FCR–depression relationship, accounting for 24.1% of the variance (significant indirect effect). In contrast, overall illness perceptions did not significantly predict or mediate the FCR–anxiety relationship. However, specific illness perception domains—timeline beliefs, perceived personal control, and emotional representation—were significant predictors of anxiety alongside FCR.<br /><br />The authors conclude that targeting maladaptive illness perceptions may be a promising, modifiable clinical focus to reduce distress in AYA survivors, particularly for depression, while anxiety may require attention to specific belief/emotion domains. Limitations include cross-sectional design (no causal inference) and a largely UK/“WEIRD” sample, highlighting the need for longitudinal and cross-cultural research.

Keywords

adolescent and young adult cancer survivors

fear of cancer recurrence

illness perceptions

Common-Sense Model of illness self-regulation

mental health outcomes

depression (PHQ-9)

anxiety (GAD-7)

Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ)

Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory Short Form (FCRI-SF)

mediation analysis