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Psychological-Educational Studies
2025. Vol. 17, no. 4, 113–128
doi:10.17759/psyedu.2025170407
ISSN: 2587-6139 (online)

Illness perceptions as a factor of subjective well-being in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy

 
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Abstract

Context and relevance. Oncological diseases create significant psychological distress, affecting patients' subjective well-being. Illness perceptions play a key role in adaptation. Chemotherapy (CT) and radiation therapy (RT), as differing treatment modalities with distinct clinical and experiential profiles, may shape different illness perceptions; however, their comparative influence remains understudied. Objective. The purpose of this study is to examine the characteristics of illness perceptions in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy versus radiation therapy and their relationship with subjective well-being. Hypothesis. 1. CT patients hold more negative illness perceptions (perceiving the illness as having a longer timeline, more cyclical nature, more severe consequences, and lower treatment control) than RT patients. 2. Illness perceptions are associated with subjective well-being, but the nature of these associations differs between the groups. Methods and materials. The study involved 107 cancer patients (90 women, 17 men), divided into a CT group (n = 52) and an RT group (n = 55). The mean age was 49,38 years (SD = 11,89) for women and 41,59 years (SD = 13,82) for men. The following instruments were used: the Satisfaction with Life Scale, the Scale of Positive and Negative Experiences (E. Diener's subjective well-being model), and The Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R). Statistical analysis was performed in RStudio. Results. Hypothesis 1 was confirmed: CT patients perceived the illness as having a longer timeline (p = 0,002), more cyclical course (p = 0,006), more severe consequences (p < 0,001), and lower treatment control (p < 0,001) compared to RT patients. Hypothesis 2 was confirmed: different patterns of association between illness perceptions and subjective well-being were identified. For CT patients, key predictors of well-being were personal control and illness coherence. For RT patients, well-being was more strongly associated with perceptions of the illness timeline and its consequences. Additionally, lower emotional representations and higher treatment control were predictors of subjective well-being in both groups. Conclusions. The type of anticancer therapy is associated with patients' cognitive illness perceptions. The relationship between these perceptions and subjective well-being is modality-specific. These findings underscore the importance of considering the treatment modality (CT or RT) when developing psychological support programs aimed at correcting maladaptive illness perceptions and improving the quality of life of cancer patients.

General Information

Keywords: cancer patients, subjective well-being, illness perceptions, chemotherapy, radiation therapy

Journal rubric: Developmental Psychology

Article type: scientific article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17759/psyedu.2025170407

Received 25.07.2025

Revised 25.11.2025

Accepted

Published

For citation: Karakurkchi, M.K. (2025). Illness perceptions as a factor of subjective well-being in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Psychological-Educational Studies, 17(4), 113–128. (In Russ.). https://doi.org/10.17759/psyedu.2025170407

© Karakurkchi M.K., 2025

License: CC BY-NC 4.0

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Information About the Authors

Marina K. Karakurkchi, medical Psychologist, Oncology Center No.1 of S.S. Yudin City Clinical Hospital, postgraduate student at the Department of Neuro- and Pathopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation, ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6105-7798, e-mail: karakyrkchi_m@mail.ru

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Ethics statement

All participants gave their consent to participate in the study.

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