DF/HCC Program Affiliation

Cancer Survivorship

Research Abstract

My research to date has focused on psychological adaptation to medical illness by older patients with a specific focus on the medical decision making process in patients with neurocognitive or neuropsychiatric illnesses. As a VA researcher, I have also been particularly interested in the role of trauma (i.e., combat trauma in military veterans) in psychological adaptation.

I am now extending this research to focus on cancer survivors in several areas:
1) To what extent to cancer patients report post traumatic stress symptomatology, and/or stress-related growth in response to cancer diagnosis and treatment;
2) How does earlier trauma experience relate to the onset and development of stress symptoms or stress related growth/ meaning making in cancer survivors (e.g., is earlier combat experience a protective or vulnerability factor);
3) How does cancer impact access and use of the healthcare system;
4) How do stress symptoms impact approach/avoidance to advance care planning.

Publications

• Moye J, Marson DC.Assessment of decision-making capacity in older adults: an emerging area of practice and research.J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2007 Jan;62(1):P3-P11.
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• Karel MJ, Moye J, Bank A, Azar AR.Three methods of assessing values for advance care planning: comparing persons with and without dementia.J Aging Health 2007 Feb;19(1):123-51.
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• Moye J, Gurrera RJ, Karel MJ, Edelstein B, O'Connell C.Empirical advances in the assessment of the capacity to consent to medical treatment: clinical implications and research needs.Clin Psychol Rev 2006 Dec;26(8):1054-77.
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