Autonomy can support affect regulation during illness and in health

Abstract

The benefits of autonomy to self-regulation, health, and well-being are well established. However, relatively few studies have investigated how autonomy might influence affect regulation. In this commentary, we argue that autonomy is an important motivational factor that interacts with affect regulation and may be particularly relevant in health contexts, such as cancer, that can limit individual autonomy. We describe the relationship between autonomy and affect regulation and illustrate ways in which autonomy can be supported broadly as well as during various phases in the cancer trajectory.