Abstract
Building on the Cognitive–Social Health Information-Processing model, this paper provides a theoretically guided review of monitoring (i.e., attend to and amplify) cancer-related threats. Specifically, the goals of the review are to examine whether individuals high on monitoring are characterized by specific cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses to cancer-related health threats than individuals low on monitoring and the implications of these cognitive–affective responses for patient-centered outcomes, including patient–physician communication, decision-making and the development of interventions to promote adherence and adjustment. A total of 74 reports were found, based on 63 studies, 13 of which were intervention studies. The results suggest that although individuals high on monitoring are more knowledgeable about health threats, they are less satisfied with the information provided. Further, they tend to be characterized by greater perceived risk, more negative beliefs, and greater value of health-related information and experience more negative affective outcomes. Finally, individuals high on monitoring tend to be more demanding of the health providers in terms of desire for more information and emotional support, are more assertive during decision-making discussions, and subsequently experience more decisional regret. Psychoeducational interventions improve outcomes when the level and type of information provided is consistent with the individual’s monitoring style and the demands of the specific health threat. Implications for patient-centered outcomes, in terms of tailoring of interventions, patient–provider communication, and decision-making, are discussed.
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Notes
In some cases (N = 7) we had to make a decision as to whether to rate the published paper or the study. We decided to rate the papers as this causes the least confusion. As a result we consistently use the term “paper” in relation to the quality ratings.
When the number of studies and papers is identical, then one of the two terms is used. When there is discrepancy, then both numbers are reported.
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported in part by NIH Grants R01 CA158019, R01 CA104979, RCI CA14506663, and P01 CA057586, the Fox Chase Cancer Center Behavioral Research Core Facility P30 CA06927, as well as Department of Defense Grants DAMD 17-01-1-0238 and DAMD 17-02-1-0382. We are indebted to John Scarpato and Kerry Sherman for their valuable comments and Mary Anne Ryan and Gem Roy for their technical assistance.
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Authors Pagona Roussi and Suzanne M. Miller declare that they have no conflict of interest.
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All procedures followed were in accordance with ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000. Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.
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Roussi, P., Miller, S.M. Monitoring style of coping with cancer related threats: a review of the literature. J Behav Med 37, 931–954 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-014-9553-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-014-9553-x