Understanding the Implications of Health Anxiety Following Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Abstract

Health anxiety refers to excessive worry about and preoccupation with ill health and can be triggered when diagnosed with a medical condition. Existing research suggests that elevated health anxiety is associated with behavioural responses such as body vigilance, reassurability from medical personnel, and quality of life; however, the implications of health anxiety have not been studied in a breast cancer sample. Based on previous research and the cognitive-behavioural model of health anxiety, it was hypothesized that health anxiety would positively predict greater body vigilance, decreased reassurability, and lower quality of life even when controlling for other constructs that have been found to be relevant among women with breast cancer, such as depression, general anxiety, cancer-specific anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, and anxiety sensitivity. Presently, 160 Canadian women diagnosed with breast cancer within the past ten years have completed a webbased survey regarding their responses to breast cancer diagnosis. Linear regression analysis will be used to determine the relative importance of health anxiety in predicting body vigilance, reassurability, and quality of life as compared to other psychological constructs. The findings of this study have potential to add to the literature on the applicability of the cognitive-behavioural model of health anxiety to understanding behavioural responses to breast cancer by determining if health anxiety plays a unique role in understanding body vigilance, reassurability, and quality of life. Above all, the knowledge gained from this project will aid clinicians in identifying which constructs are important to assess and treat among women with breast cancer.