Carnegie Mellon University

Adjustment to Chronic Disease (Cognitive Adaptation Theory)

Taylor, S. E., Helgeson, V. S., Reed, G. M., & Skokan, L. A. (1991). Self-generated feelings of control and adjustment to physical illness. Journal of Social Issues, 47, 91-109.

Helgeson, V. S. (1991). The effects of masculinity and social support on recovery from myocardial infarction. Psychosomatic Medicine, 53, 621-633.

Helgeson, V. S. (1992). Moderators of the relation between perceived control and adjustment to chronic illness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 656-666.

Helgeson, V. S., & Taylor, S. E. (1993). Social comparisons and adjustment among cardiac patients. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 23, 1171-1185.

Helgeson, V. S. (1993). The onset of chronic illness: Its effect on the patient-spouse relationship. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology,12, 406-428.

Helgeson, V. S., & Mickelson, K. D. (1995). Motives for social comparison. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21, 1200-1209.

Helgeson, V. S. (1995). Masculinity, men's roles, and coronary heart disease. In D. Sabo & D. Gordon (Eds.), Men's health and illness: Gender, power and the body (pp 68-104). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Helgeson, V. S., & Franzen, P. L. (1998). The role of perceived control in adjustment to diabetes. Anxiety, stress, and coping, 11, 113-136.

Helgeson, V. S., & Fritz, H. L. (1999). Cognitive adaptation as a predictor of new coronary events after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. Psychosomatic Medicine, 61, 488-495.

Helgeson, V. S. (1999). Applicability of cognitive adaptation theory to predicting adjustment to heart disease after coronary angioplasty. Health Psychology, 18, 561-569.

Helgeson, V. S., & Mickelson, K. D. (2000). Coping with chronic illness among the elderly. In S. B. Manuck, R. Jennings, B. S. Rabin, & A. Baum (Eds.), Behavior, health, and aging (pp. 153-178). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Bogart, L. M., & Helgeson, V. S. (2000). Social comparisons among women with breast cancer: A longitudinal investigation. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 30, 547-575.

Eton, D.T., Lepore, S. J., & Helgeson, V. S. (2001). Early quality of life in localized prostate cancer: An examination of treatment-related, demographic, and psychosocial factors. Cancer, 92, 1451-1459. PMCID: PMC2610318

Helgeson, V. S., & Reynolds, K. (2002). Social psychological aspects of chronic illness. In A. J. Christensen & M. H. Antoni (Eds.), Chronic physical disorders: Behavioral medicine’s perspective (pp. 25-46). Oxford, England: Blackwell Publishers Limited.

Helgeson, V. S. (2003). Cognitive adaptation, psychological adjustment, and disease progression among angioplasty patients: 4 years later. Health Psychology, 22, 30-38.

Helgeson, V. S., Janicki, D., Lerner, J., & Barbarin, O. (2003). Brief report: Adjustment to juvenile rheumatoid arthritis: A family systems perspective. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 28, 347-353.

Helgeson, V. S. (2004). Chronic illness. In A. J. Christensen, R. Martin, & J. M. Smyth (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Health Psychology (pp. 48-50). New York: Kluwer Academic.

Tomich, P. L., & Helgeson, V. S.  (2004).  Is finding something good in the bad always good?  Benefit finding among women with breast cancer. Health Psychology, 23, 16-23.

Martire, L., Lustig, A. P., Schulz, R., Miller, G. E., & Helgeson, V. S. (2004). Is it beneficial to involve a family member? A meta-analysis of family-focused interventions for chronic illness? Health Psychology, 23, 599-611.

Tomich, P. L., Helgeson, V. S., & Nowak Vache, E. J. (2005). The benefits and costs of breast cancer: A comparison to age-matched controls 5-years later. Psycho-Oncology, 14, 307-317.

Roberts, K. J., Lepore, S. J., & Helgeson, V. S. (2006). Social-cognitive correlates of adjustment to prostate cancer. Psycho-Oncology, 14, 183-192.

Park, C. L., & Helgeson, V. S. (2006). Growth following highly stressful life events: Current status and future directions. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 791-796.

Helgeson, V. S., Reynolds, K. A., & Tomich, P. L. (2006). A meta-analytic review of benefit finding and growth. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 797-816. PMID: 17032085

Tomich, P. L., & Helgeson, V. S. (2006). Cognitive adaptation theory and breast cancer recurrence: Are there limits? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 74, 980-987. PMID: 1703210

Helgeson, V. S., Lopez, L., & Mennella, C. (2009). Benefit-finding among adolescents with chronic illness. In C. Park, S. C. Lechner, M. H. Antoni, & A. L. Stanton (Eds.), Medical illness and positive life change (pp. 65-86). Washington D. C.: American Psychological Association.

Helgeson, V. S., & Lopez, L. C. (2010). Social support and growth following adversity. In J. W. Reich, A. J. Zautra, & J. S. Hall (Eds.), Handbook of adult resilience (pp. 309-330). New York: Guilford Publications.

Helgeson, V. S. (2010). Corroboration of growth following breast cancer: 10 years later. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 29, 546-574.

Schroevers, M., Helgeson, V. S., Sanderman, R., & Ranchor, A. V. (2010). Received social support following cancer diagnosis predicts survivors' report of posttraumatic growth. Psycho-Oncology, 19, 46-53.

Henselmans, I., Sanderman, R., Helgeson, V. S., de Vries, J., Smink, A., & Ranchor, A. V. (2010). Personal control over the cure of breast cancer: Adaptiveness, underlying beliefs and correlates. Psycho-Oncology, 19, 525-534.

Helgeson, V. S., & Palladino, D. K. (2012). Implications of psychosocial factors for diabetes outcomes among children with type 1 diabetes: A review. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 6, 228–242.

Tomich, P. L., & Helgeson, V. S. (2012). Posttraumatic growth following cancer: Links to quality of life. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 25, 567-573.

Helgeson, V. S., Reynolds, K. A., Siminerio, L. M., Becker, D. J., & Escobar, O. (2014). Cognitive adaptation theory as a predictor of adjustment to emerging adulthood for youth with and without type 1 diabetes. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 77, 484-491. PMCID: PMC4259892

Helgeson, V. S., & Holmbeck, G. N. (2015). An introduction to the special issue on Peer Relations in Youth with Chronic Illness. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 40, 267-271. PMCID: PMC4366450.

Helgeson, V. S., Zajdel, M. (2017). Adjusting to chronic health conditions. Annual Review of Psychology, 68, 545-571.

Martire, L. M., & Helgeson, V. S. (2017). Close relationships and the management of chronic illness: Associations and interventions. American Psychologist, 72, 601-612. PMCID: PMC5598776

Helgeson V. S., Jakubiak, B., Van Vleet, M., & Zajdel, M. (2018). Communal coping and adjustment to chronic illness: Theory update and evidence. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 22, 170-195. PMCID: PMC 5878976

De Vries, A. M., Helgeson, V. S., Schulz, T. , Almansa, J. , Westerhuis, R. , Niesing, J. , Navis, G. J., Schroevers, M. J. and Ranchor, A. V. (2019). Benefit finding in renal transplantation and its association with psychological and clinical correlates: A prospective study. British Journal of Health Psychology, 24(1), 175-191.