Abstract A099: Benefit finding and depressive symptoms: The role of socioeconomic status and positive affect among immigrant cancer survivors
Authors: Wang Carol , Lu Qian 
Published: August 2020

Purpose: Benefit finding, or finding benefits within adversity, has been shown to be linked to better psychological well-being among those who have undergone trauma such as cancer patients and survivors of natural disasters. According to the National Cancer Institute, up to 25% of cancer survivors experience symptoms of depression. Positive emotions have been shown to promote positive meaning and buffer against depressive symptoms among individuals whom have undergone through challenging life circumstances (Tugade & Frederickson, 2004; Frederickson et al., 2003) and resilient individuals report using greater positive emotions following a challenging task which predicted faster cardiovascular recovery (Tugade & Frederickson, 2004). Furthermore, literature has documented ethnic and racial disparities in cancer survival and care. However, socioeconomic disparities in psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer have garnered little attention. This study addresses this gap by examining the association between benefit finding and depressive symptoms, state positive affect as an underlying mechanism, and the potential moderating role of socioeconomic indicators (i.e., personal income, household income, and education) among Chinese American breast cancer survivors (CABCS).

Methods: Ninety-six CABCS completed a questionnaire packet assessing these variables.

Results: Benefit finding was positively associated with positive affect and negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Educational attainment but neither personal nor household income was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Positive affect explained the relationship between benefit finding and depressive symptoms. Only educational attainment moderated the relation between benefit finding and depressive symptoms such that benefit finding was most beneficial for those with high educational attainment.

Conclusion: This study suggests that benefit finding is linked to lower depressive symptoms among CABCS through the mechanism of positive emotions. That is, positive emotions may broaden an individual's personal resources (e.g., social and psychological) that enhance health and well-being and help regulate negative emotions, thereby promoting resiliency. Furthermore, socioeconomic indicators such as education and income may be differentially related to depressive symptoms among CABCS. These findings underscore the importance of implementing psychosocial interventions targeted at increasing benefit finding and positive affectivity to address socioeconomic disparities among immigrant cancer survivors.

Citation Format: Carol Wang, Qian Lu. Benefit finding and depressive symptoms: The role of socioeconomic status and positive affect among immigrant cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2018 Nov 2-5; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2020;29(6 Suppl):Abstract nr A099.