Emotional suppression and psychological responses to a diagnosis of breast cancer

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between emotional suppression and psychological distress in response to a diagnosis related to breast cancer. After their first visit, 31 patients with breast cancer and 90 with benign breast conditions completed the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CECS) and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and were interviewed about their concerns after being diagnosed. Breast cancer and benign breast condition patients were divided into separate emotional suppression groups or emotional expression groups based on their median CECS score. The POMS scores of breast cancer patients were higher than those of benign breast condition patients; scores in the emotional suppression groups were higher than in the emotional expression groups. Breast cancer patients in the emotional suppression group expressed more negative emotions and fewer positive emotions than benign breast condition patients. Our results suggest that patients who suppressed their emotions experienced and reported more psychological distress when diagnosed with breast cancer.