Association between ruminations and emotional distress in patients newly diagnosed with cancer

Abstract

Objective: Cancer is a strong psychological stressor, generating emotional distress among patients. Rumination is an information processing mode that increases the vulnerability to such distress. However, rumination has not been appropriately studied in cancer patients. This research examines the relationship between rumination and anxiety/depression symptoms among recently diagnosed cancer patients. Method: A sample of 71 recently diagnosed cancer patients was assessed through the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Ruminative Responses Scale, the MOS Social Support Survey and a clinical interview. Correlations between ruminations (and its subscales of brooding and reflection), social support, clinical and socio-demographic variables and emotional distress (both anxiety and depression) were analyzed. Multiple regression models were performed, in order to determine the specific contribution of each variable in the explanatory model. Results: Anxiety symptoms correlated with ruminations, social support, sex and age. Depression symptoms correlated with ruminations and social support. Multivariate models show that anxiety symptoms were associated with both rumination subscales and sex. Depression symptoms were associated with the brooding subscale Discussion: Ruminations are associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms among recently diagnosed cancer patients. Rumination become an important therapeutic target in prevention of psychological distress associated to both diagnosis and treatment initiation. Longitudinal research should be carry out in order to determine the predictive value of ruminations for psychological distress.