Messay, Berhane
(2017)
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMOTION REGULATION STRATEGY USE AND CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASE RISK AMONG MOTHERS OF CHILDREN DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER: THE ROLE OF DISTRESS AND INFLAMMATION LEVELS.
Doctoral Dissertation, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Mothers of children diagnosed with cancer are faced with numerous, prolonged stressors that can negatively impact their psychosocial functioning and thus their health. Consequently, identifying potential risk or health protective factors may be especially important for this population. In this regard, a growing number of studies suggest that individual differences in the use of emotion regulation strategies, such as expressive suppression and cognitive reappraisal, may modulate the negative emotional consequences of chronic/prolonged stressors. Though limited and cross-sectional in nature, studies have also started examining associations between emotion regulation strategies of suppression and reappraisal with inflammation—an important biomarker implicated in numerous immune-mediated illnesses, including cardiovascular disease. The main objective of the present study is to extend extant findings to a prospective examination of whether the use of emotion suppression and cognitive reappraisal influence symptoms of distress and inflammation among mothers of children recently diagnosed with cancer (N=120). In the present study, inflammation was indexed by circulating and stimulated levels of IL-6. Mothers were followed from approximately one month of their child’s diagnosis (T1) to twelve months post-diagnosis. Results showed a decrease in level of distress and an increase in circulating and stimulated measures of inflammation across the follow-up period. Higher self-reported use of reappraisal related to lower levels of distress at T1; however, it did not significantly predict rate of change in distress over time. Similarly, higher self-reported use of suppression related to higher levels of distress at T1, but it did not predict rate of change in distress level across the follow-up period. In regard to inflammation, reappraisal did not relate to initial levels or change in circulating or stimulated levels of IL-6. While we also did not observe a significant association between suppression and initial circulating or stimulated IL-6, suppression did predict significantly slower increases in stimulated IL-6 levels. A similar tendency was observed on analysis of circulating IL-6. Implications of these findings and future directions are discussed.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
28 September 2017 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
28 June 2016 |
| Approval Date: |
28 September 2017 |
| Submission Date: |
13 July 2016 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
68 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Psychology |
| Degree: |
PhD - Doctor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Doctoral Dissertation |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
emotion regulation strategy, expressive suppression, reappraisal, inflammation, distress, mothers of children diagnosed with cancer |
| Date Deposited: |
28 Sep 2017 21:43 |
| Last Modified: |
28 Sep 2017 21:43 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/28597 |
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