Intrusive thoughts and avoidance in breast cancer: Individual differences and association with psychological distress

Eighty-five women with newly diagnosed breast cancer were classified on the basis of high and low levels of cancer-related intrusive thoughts and avoi dance at diagnosis, and their psychological adjustment was studied prospect ively at 3 and 6 months post diagnosis. Patients who initially reported hig h levels of both intrusive thoughts and avoidance and those who reported hi gh levels of intrusive thoughts but low avoidance experienced the highest l evels of anxiety and depression symptoms, and continued intrusive thoughts and avoidance. Patients who were high in avoidance but low in intrusive tho ughts also experienced adjustment problems, including increased intrusive t houghts, when compared with patients who were low in both types of symptoms . The findings highlight the Value of considering subgroup differences in p atterns of intrusion and avoidance as predictors of subsequent psychologica l adjustment to breast cancer.