. 2021 Sep 15;30(9):1288–1302. doi: 10.1089/jwh.2020.8506

Table 5.

Summary of Information Provided by Younger Women with Chronic Disease

Supporting previous literature	Added or diverging information on younger women
Chronic Disease • Identity negotiation • Active coping • Increased psychological and physical symptom burden (e.g., depression, pain) • Prevalent fear of recurrence • Ambivalence about being a “survivor” Women with Chronic Disease • Using a variety of coping strategies Younger Women with Chronic Disease • Barriers to earlier diagnoses related to representativeness heuristics (age stereotype) • Distinct psychosocial needs compared with older women with chronic illness • Loss of normative roles (e.g., impaired in continuing parental tasks as before) Younger Women with Heart Disease • HD risk underestimated • Inadequate support • Disbelief from family members²⁷ Younger Women with Breast Cancer • Distress due to disease/treatment-related menopause and infertility • Negatives of illness visibility	Younger Women with Heart Disease vs. Breast Cancer • Illness identity: ○ Engulfment (HD) vs. Acceptance/Enrichment (BC) ○ Compartmentalization present in both HD and BC • Degree of disability: ○ Permanent inability to work inside or outside the home (HD) vs. Changes in work environment or skills used (BC) • Differential effects of illness invisibility: ○ Lacking family/social support (HD) vs. Can signify recovery (BC) • Impact of disease on family: ○ Primarily negative psychologically and interpersonally (HD) vs. Primarily positive psychologically and interpersonally (BC) Younger Women with Heart Disease • Limited optimism • Potential consequences of both age and gender stereotypes Younger Women with Breast Cancer • Duality of peer availability: benefitting from social support while also experiencing internal comparison, self-minimization, survival guilt • Duality of treatment decision making: opportunities to gain a sense of control but also feeling overwhelmed by many options and uncertain outcome • Positives of illness visibility: creating opportunities for dialogue, giving/receiving support

Supporting previous literature

Added or diverging information on younger women

Chronic Disease
• Identity negotiation
• Active coping
• Increased psychological and physical symptom burden (e.g., depression, pain)
• Prevalent fear of recurrence
• Ambivalence about being a “survivor”
Women with Chronic Disease
• Using a variety of coping strategies
Younger Women with Chronic Disease
• Barriers to earlier diagnoses related to representativeness heuristics (age stereotype)
• Distinct psychosocial needs compared with older women with chronic illness
• Loss of normative roles (e.g., impaired in continuing parental tasks as before)
Younger Women with Heart Disease
• HD risk underestimated
• Inadequate support
• Disbelief from family members²⁷
Younger Women with Breast Cancer
• Distress due to disease/treatment-related menopause and infertility
• Negatives of illness visibility

Younger Women with Heart Disease vs. Breast Cancer
• Illness identity:
○ Engulfment (HD) vs. Acceptance/Enrichment (BC)
○ Compartmentalization present in both HD and BC
• Degree of disability:
○ Permanent inability to work inside or outside the home (HD) vs. Changes in work environment or skills used (BC)
• Differential effects of illness invisibility:
○ Lacking family/social support (HD) vs. Can signify recovery (BC)
• Impact of disease on family:
○ Primarily negative psychologically and interpersonally (HD) vs. Primarily positive psychologically and interpersonally (BC)
Younger Women with Heart Disease
• Limited optimism
• Potential consequences of both age and gender stereotypes
Younger Women with Breast Cancer
• Duality of peer availability: benefitting from social support while also experiencing internal comparison, self-minimization, survival guilt
• Duality of treatment decision making: opportunities to gain a sense of control but also feeling overwhelmed by many options and uncertain outcome
• Positives of illness visibility: creating opportunities for dialogue, giving/receiving support