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Distress During Cancer Treatment And Its Relation To Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms, Matthew Robert Moore

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation focuses on the psychological response to stress in cancer patients. Specifically, it examines the factors which increase the likelihood of experiencing distress and posttraumatic stress (PTSS), as well as the relationship between distress and PTSS. The dissertation is composed of three manuscripts, the first of which presents a review of the current literature on distress and PTSS in adult cancer patient populations. It indicates that distress is prevalent in cancer patient populations, and that increased levels of distress may be related to PTSS. Furthermore, risk and protective factors are identified, including older age and social support, which may …