Longitudinal assessment of illness perceptions in young adults with cancer

The purpose of this study was to assess longitudinally the illness perception in young adults with cancer. Participants were 50 patients who answered socio-demographic and clinical data questionnaires and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (Brief IPQ). Longitudinal results revealed no significant changes in illness perceptions over one-year period. However, perceptions about cancer causality were significantly different in the same period. Women presented more negative cognitive perceptions about cancer than men in Time 1 (T1), but in T2 women revealed more negative emotional perceptions about the cancer. It was concluded that illness perception over one-year period remained relatively stable, but there are strong evidence for differences between men and women.