Motives, Fear of Cancer Recurrence, and Optimism Affecting Resilience and QoL in Breast Cancer Patients

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19466186

Annalakshmi N.¹, Guhan, P.², Bharath, R.³, Madhulika Vijayakumar⁴, Abhirami, T.R.⁵, Navanitha, M.⁶,
and Angeline Shruthi⁷ (Department of Psychology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu¹, Director and Consultant Medical Oncologist, Sri Ramakrishna Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu², Consultant Medical Oncologist, Department of Medical Oncology, Kovai Medical Center and Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu³, Department of Radiation Oncology, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu4, Department of Psychology, Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu^5,6, and PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu⁷)

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide. Cancer patients may experience difficulties in making plans, fear of cancer recurrence, fear of the future, and a heightened sense of vulnerability. The present study examined whether motives, fear of cancer recurrence, optimism, and pessimism predict resilience and quality of life (QoL) among breast cancer patients. QoL was assessed in terms of psychological well-being and social well-being. A purposive sample of 240 breast cancer patients aged between 30 to 73 participated in the study. Participants were administered the unified motive scale, fear of cancer recurrence scale, life orientation scale, Bharathiar University resilience scale and quality of life-patient scale. Simple and multiple linear regression analyses were used for data analysis. Results indicated that intimacy and optimism positively predicted psychological well-being, while fear and fear of cancer recurrence negatively predicted psychological well-being. Additionally, the results revealed that intimacy and optimism positively predicted social well-being, while fear and fear of cancer recurrence negatively predicted social well-being. Power, achievement and intimacy along with optimism positively predicted resilience, while fear and fear of cancer recurrence negatively predicted resilience among breast cancer patients. The findings highlight the importance of psychological factors such as motives, fear of cancer and optimism in promoting resilience and quality of life. Understanding these factors can aid in developing targeted interventions to enhance psychological outcomes among breast cancer patients.