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Using the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation to Understand the Relationship Between Symptom Reporting and Trait Negative Affect

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Abstract

Background/Purpose

Based on the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation, we examined if the relationship of trait NA to physical symptom reporting was moderated by life events and illness representations.

Methods

This relationship was examined using a cross-sectional dataset of 554 elderly adults.

Results

A significant three-way interaction demonstrated that individuals who reported the greatest severity of physical symptoms were higher in trait NA, and reported more life events and a chronic illness history.

Conclusions

The results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that individual high on trait NA who have a history of a chronic illness have illness representations with both disease specific physical symptoms and symptoms from other causes, such as emotional distress. This may complicate the care of medical conditions for these patients.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported through an NIA grant “Symptom and Emotion Stimuli to Health Action in Elderly” (5R37AG003501-18). This material is additionally the result of work supported in part with resources and the use of facilities at the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, New Jersey Health Care System. Aspects of this work were previously presented at the Association for Psychological Science Convention, May 2007.

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Correspondence to Lisa M. McAndrew.

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Pablo A. Mora (deceased)

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McAndrew, L.M., Mora, P.A., Quigley, K.S. et al. Using the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation to Understand the Relationship Between Symptom Reporting and Trait Negative Affect. Int.J. Behav. Med. 21, 989–994 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-013-9372-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12529-013-9372-4

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