Body change stress for women with breast cancer: The breast-impact of treatment scale

Abstract

Background: Body change stress refers to subjective psychological stress that accompanies women's negative and distressing thoughts, emotions, and behaviors resultant from breast cancer and breast surgeries. Body change stress is manifest with traumatic stress-like symptoms. Purpose: The development of the Breast-Impact of Treatment Scale (BITS) is described. The construct is assessed with 13 items that comprise a one-factor solution. Methods and Results: Tests of convergent validity demonstrate the relationship, but not overlap, of the BITS with measures of stress, emotional distress, and sexuality. The BITS distinguishes between women receiving segmental mastectomy (lumpectomy) versus mastectomy. Incremental validity is shown with comparison to ratings of body satisfaction. Conclusions: An early psychometric foundation enables use of the BITS to assess a common and distressing quality of life outcome for women with breast cancer. © 2006 by The Society of Behavioral Medicine.