Lowest cancer incidence was observed in empathic and flexible persons: having a variable set of emotions, without running into the extremes of ambivalence.
(Graves et al., 1986; ©Psychosomatic Medicine).
Interestingly, these researchers had used the Rorschach test: a test with various abstract figures. The testperson is asked what he reckognizes in the picture. Although of old age, this test is a projective test, designed to observe more unconscious levels. Considering the importance of repression in cancer (see psychodynamics) and in humans in general, we may be lucky that a projective test was used.
In a somewhat different approach, combining the Rorschach with a test on parental relationships, Shaffer et al. (1987) observed highest death due to cancer in persons characterised as 'loners': people with lack of expected interests, and a poor relationship with parents. Higher mortality was also seen in 'bland normal' persons: persons with scores only in the mean. On the other end of the scale, lowest death was seen in persons with high scores on parental control, anxiety, depression and extraversion under stress.
(Shaffer et al., 1987; ©Journal of Behavioural Medicine).
The high scores on anxiety and depression etc. are interesting and relate to a basic and paradoxical aspect of psycho-oncology: symptomatic persons may fare mucht better than asymptomatic. See also the page on psychodynamics. The high scores on 'negative' affects likely reflect a healthy expressive attitude, rather than a 'truly' more negative inner state.
The high scores on anxiety and depression etc. are interesting and relate to a basic and paradoxical aspect of psycho-oncology: symptomatic persons may fare mucht better than asymptomatic. Premorbid repression was also seen by Dattore et al. in (1980, no abstract) and Persky et al. in (1987) (see also the page on psychodynamics in oncology). Thus, high scores on 'negative' affects likely reflect a healthy expressive attitude, rather than a 'truly' more negative inner state.
To study the impact of loneliness, Reymold and Kaplan (1990) used four sentences:
1. It’s hard for me to feel close to others.
2. Often when I’m with a group of people, I feel left out – even if they are friends of mine.
3. I tend to keep people at a distance.
4. I often feel lonely or remote from other people.
Persons that considered two or more of these lines true, showed higher cancermortality in the subsequent seventeen years. Mortality in the most isolated persons was nearly 3,5 times higher than in the least isolated.
The aspect of relationship with parents had been worked out by Thomas et al. (1979). Persons who later developed cancer, had lower scores on the closeness-parents-scale than healthy controls.
(Thomas et al., 1979; © Psychosomatic Medicine)
The authors added that the scores in the group that later would develop cancer, resembled scores as seen in patients who develop severe psychiatric disorders, including suicidality.
