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This study examined the cross‐sectional and longitudinal relationships of illness perceptions, coping, and distress in women with breast cancer. Illness perceptions and coping at baseline and changes in these variables over time served as possible predictors of distress at two follow‐up points.

Fifty‐seven women with breast cancer who participated in a psychosocial aftercare programme completed a questionnaire before the start of the intervention, directly after the end of the intervention, and 1 year after the start of the intervention. Study variables were assessed with the Illness Perception Questionnaire‐Revised (illness perceptions), the COPE (coping), and the Hopkins Symptom Check List (distress).

Results showed that 43% of variance in distress at baseline was explained by participants' illness perceptions. Cyclical timeline perceptions were the strongest predictor of …