This study assesses the efficacy of a group intervention in altering emotion regulation processes and promoting adjustment in women with breast cancer. Using a design with 10 alternating phases of availability of the intervention versus standard care, we assessed women participating in one of three conditions: a 12‐week group intervention (N = 54); a decliner group who refused the intervention (N = 56), and a standard care group who were not offered the intervention (N = 44). The intervention included training in relaxation, guided imagery, meditation, emotional expression, and exercises promoting control beliefs and benefit‐finding. Emotion regulation processes and adjustment were assessed at baseline (following diagnosis), 4 months (corresponding with the end of the intervention), 6 months, and 12 months. At 4 months, intervention participants (compared to decliners and standard care participants) reported greater increases in use of relaxation‐oriented techniques, perceived control, emotional well‐being, and coping efficacy, and, greater decreases in perceived risk of recurrence, cancer worry, and anxiety. Intervention participants also reported relatively greater decreases in emotional suppression from baseline to 12 months, suggesting that the intervention had a delayed impact on these tendencies. The findings suggest an emotion regulation intervention can beneficially influence emotional experiences and regulation over the first year following diagnosis. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Nous abordons dans ce travail la question des symptômes prolongés faisant suite à une infection par SARS-CoV-2, baptisés « COVID long ». Ce syndrome cliniquement peu spécifique doit être mis en perspective avec les syndromes post-infectieux connus de longe date mais finalement mal connus et peu étudiés, qualifiés, faute d'arguments probants pour une physiopathologie univoque et de meilleurs termes, de syndrome somatiques fonctionnels. Les implications cliniques (prise en charge « holistique » des malades), de recherche (nécessité d'investigations réellement « bio-psycho-sociales »), et sociales (construction sociale du syndrome à partir des expériences de patients relatées sur les réseaux sociaux, inégalités face à la maladie et ses conséquences socioéconomiques) sont envisagées. Le « COVID long » doit être vu, en raison de sa prévalence attendue, comme une opportunité pour aborder la complexité des syndromes (fonctionnels) post-infectieux, leurs facteurs de risque, et les mécanismes biologiques, psychologiques et sociaux qui les sous-tendent.In this work, we address the issue of prolonged symptoms following an infection by SARS-CoV-2, labeled "long COVID". This clinically unspecific syndrome must be put in perspective with the post-infectious syndromes known for a long time but ultimately poorly understood and little studied, qualified, for lack of convincing arguments for a unambiguous pathophysiology and better terms, as functional somatic syndromes. The clinical implications for clinical care ("holistic" work-up and care of patients), for research (need for truly "bio-psycho-social" investigations), and the social implications of "long COVID" (social construction of the syndrome through the experiences of patients exposed on social networks, inequalities in the face of the disease and its socioeconomic consequences) are considered. "Long COVID" must be view, because of its expected prevalence, as an opportunity to address the complexity of post-infectious (functional) syndromes, their risk factors, and the biological, psychological and social mechanisms underlying them.

Objective: This prospective study assesses the roles of illness beliefs, emotion regulation factors, and sociodemographic characteristics in decisions to participate in a group support program for women recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Method: Women recruited during clinic visits 2 to 4 weeks after diagnosis completed measures of affective and cognitive factors identified by Leventhal's Common-Sense Model of illness self-regulation: cancer-related distress, avoidance tendencies, beliefs that the breast cancer was caused by stress and altered immunity, and personal control beliefs. Measures of general anxiety and depression, social support, and demographic characteristics were also completed; prognostic status information was obtained from medical records. All women were encouraged to participate in a free, 12-week program offering coping skills training and group support. Participation was recorded by program staff. Results: Of the I 10 women, 54 (49%) participated in the group support program and 56 (51%) did not. Logistic regression analyses revealed that participation was predicted by stronger beliefs that the cancer was caused by altered immunity, higher cancer-related distress, lower avoidance tendencies, and younger age. Conclusions: Participation in the group psychosocial support program appeared to be guided by cognitive and affective factors identified by the Common-Sense Model. Psychosocial support programs and informational materials promoting their use may attract more participants if they are tailored to focus on resolving cancer-related distress rather than on general anxiety or depression, appeal to those with high avoidance tendencies, address the role of immune function in cancer progression, and meet the needs of older participants.

Nous abordons dans ce travail la question des symptômes prolongés faisant suite à une infection par SARS-CoV-2, baptisés « COVID long ». Ce syndrome cliniquement peu spécifique doit être mis en perspective avec les syndromes post-infectieux connus de longe date mais finalement mal connus et peu étudiés, qualifiés, faute d'arguments probants pour une physiopathologie univoque et de meilleurs termes, de syndrome somatiques fonctionnels. Les implications cliniques (prise en charge « holistique » des malades), de recherche (nécessité d'investigations réellement « bio-psycho-sociales »), et sociales (construction sociale du syndrome à partir des expériences de patients relatées sur les réseaux sociaux, inégalités face à la maladie et ses conséquences socioéconomiques) sont envisagées. Le « COVID long » doit être vu, en raison de sa prévalence attendue, comme une opportunité pour aborder la complexité des syndromes (fonctionnels) post-infectieux, leurs facteurs de risque, et les mécanismes biologiques, psychologiques et sociaux qui les sous-tendent.In this work, we address the issue of prolonged symptoms following an infection by SARS-CoV-2, labeled "long COVID". This clinically unspecific syndrome must be put in perspective with the post-infectious syndromes known for a long time but ultimately poorly understood and little studied, qualified, for lack of convincing arguments for a unambiguous pathophysiology and better terms, as functional somatic syndromes. The clinical implications for clinical care ("holistic" work-up and care of patients), for research (need for truly "bio-psycho-social" investigations), and the social implications of "long COVID" (social construction of the syndrome through the experiences of patients exposed on social networks, inequalities in the face of the disease and its socioeconomic consequences) are considered. "Long COVID" must be view, because of its expected prevalence, as an opportunity to address the complexity of post-infectious (functional) syndromes, their risk factors, and the biological, psychological and social mechanisms underlying them.