Psychosocial adjustment among low-income Latina cervical cancer patients

Cancer-related coping strategies and social support, life stress, and optimism were tested in regression analyses as predictors of depression, affect, and quality of life among 54 low-income, immigrant Latina cervical cancer patients. Sixty-seven percent of the patients endorsed symptoms similar to diagnosable depression. Predictors significantly accounted for 35% to 54% of the variance in outcomes. Cancer-related coping strategies were found to mediate several of the relations between life stress, social support, and optimism and outcomes. Findings emphasize the need to consider the context within which patients live when assessing adjustment to cancer and developing culturally-sensitive interventions.     

Psychosocial factors associated with posttraumatic stress and growth in Australian women with ovarian cancer

The study examined psychosocial factors (quality of life, depression, anxiety, optimism, coping, and social support) in relation to symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in 108 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Canonical correlational analysis showed that both PTSD and PTG were related to poorer quality of life, lack of social supports, and avoidant coping styles. However, higher PTG was also associated with the use of meaning and social support to cope with their experience. The findings highlight both negative and positive posttraumatic outcomes but longitudinal studies are now needed to more fully evaluate these relationships.     

Coping and quality of life among women extensively treated for gynecologic cancer

The current study examined the use of engagement and avoidant coping strategies among advanced-stage gynecologic cancer patients who were facing the long-term stressors of extensive chemotherapy and advanced disease. Patients were compared to a reference group of early-stage patients who had received more limited treatment. Compared to the reference group, extensively-treated women more frequently utilized both engagement and avoidant strategies including active coping, seeking social support, and mental disengagement. Use of engagement coping strategies such as active coping and seeking social support were not significantly related to quality of life or mood. However, avoidant coping strategies, including disengagement and cognitive avoidance, were strongly associated with poorer well-being and more distressed mood. Moreover, relationships between coping and quality of life differed between the extensively-treated patients and patients in the limited treatment reference group. The use of avoidance and seeking instrumental support were associated with poorer outcomes among extensively-treated patients but not among the limited treatment group. Results of the current study suggest that coping patterns and outcomes may be more pronounced among cancer patients contending with severe disease and extensive treatment and that avoidant coping strategies may be particularly detrimental with respect to these patients' mood and quality of life.     

永久性肠造口患者知觉压力状况及影响因素的调查研究

目的:探讨永久性肠造口患者知觉压力状况及影响因素。方法:采用便利抽样法,选取156例结直肠癌永久性肠造口患者,采用一般资料调查表、知觉压力量表、应对自我效能量表、罗森伯格自尊量表、社会支持评定量表、医学应对方式问卷及医院焦虑抑郁量表进行调查。结果:永久性肠造口患者知觉压力得分为（30.34±4.59）分,处于较高水平。多元逐步回归分析结果显示,屈服、抑郁、自尊、社会支持、应对自我效能及回避进入回归方程,共解释总变异的88.2%。结论:永久性结肠造口患者知觉压力问题值得关注,需要采取必要的干预措施,医护人员应建立有效的社会支持系统,提高患者自尊与自我效能水平从而积极应对以缓解知觉压力水平,提高患者生存质量。     

Optimism and psychological well-being among parents of children with cancer: an exploratory study

Aims: To identify the characteristics of optimistic parents of children with cancer. To examine the relationship between optimism, anxiety, depression, life satisfaction, coping and subjective health perception in parents of children with cancer and parents of healthy children. Methods: One hundred parents of children with cancer were recruited during attendance at Oncology Out‐patient Clinics at a UK Regional Cancer Centre. A comparison group of 117 parents of healthy children was also recruited. All parents completed a questionnaire, providing demographic and medical information relating to the child, dispositional optimism, psychological distress, life satisfaction, coping and subjective health perception. Results: Parents of children with cancer had higher levels of anxiety, depression, optimism, satisfaction with life and subjective health perception than the comparison group. Optimism was significantly correlated with satisfaction with life, subjective health perception, anxiety and depression in both groups. Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of optimism in relationship to psychological distress in parents of children with cancer. Interventions targeting parents' optimism are recommended as a potential source of coping with adversity within this population. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

After prostate cancer: predictors of well-being among long-term prostate cancer survivors

BACKGROUND: Despite growing numbers of prostate cancer (PCa) survivors, to the authors' knowledge there is little research regarding how personality, coping, and treatment influence men's psychologic well-being, as distinct from the often-studied functional, health-related quality of life. The purpose of this study was to examine how hope, optimism, use of coping strategies, and primary treatment predict well-being, positive and negative affect, impact, depression, and adaptive changes among PCa survivors. METHODS: A questionnaire tapping personality, primary treatment, and coping strategy predictor variables and outcome variables of both positive and negative aspects of well-being was sent to 1-8-year PCa survivors. The final sample included 490 men. RESULTS: Basic univariate analyses demonstrated that the men reported being happy, hopeful, and positive, with low levels of negative outcomes. Regression analyses demonstrated that positive outcomes were influenced primarily by personality. Negative outcomes were found to be affected by both personality and coping strategies. Adaptive changes were the only ones found to be significantly affected by primary treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Although longer-term survivorship of PCa does not appear to be a highly traumatic experience, personality factors and the use of coping strategies years after treatment were found to introduce variability to well-being in complex ways, differing in relation to positive and negative outcomes. Clinical attention should be given to how the experience of cancer fits within the larger context of an individual's attitudes, choices, and coping strategy orientation. Cancer 2006. (c) 2006 American Cancer Society.     

Gynecological Cancer Survivors: Assessment of Psychological Distress and Unmet Supportive Care Needs

This study highlights psychosocial needs of gynecological cancer survivors, contributing to evaluation of the Cancer Survivors Unmet Needs measure. Of the 45 participants, 28.9% reported clinical anxiety, 20.0% mild-to-severe depression, and 15.6% had probable posttraumatic stress disorder. Strength of unmet needs was associated with anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, poorer quality of life, younger age, and greater time since diagnosis. Linear regressions showed clinical measures, quality of life, optimism, and self-blaming coping style explained 56.4% of strength of unmet needs. Anxiety, functional well-being, posttraumatic stress, and emotional well-being accounted for 40.7% of variance in fear of recurrence, with emotional well-being the strongest predictor.     

Gynecological cancer survivors: assessment of psychological distress and unmet supportive care needs

This study highlights psychosocial needs of gynecological cancer survivors, contributing to evaluation of the Cancer Survivors Unmet Needs measure. Of the 45 participants, 28.9% reported clinical anxiety, 20.0% mild-to-severe depression, and 15.6% had probable posttraumatic stress disorder. Strength of unmet needs was associated with anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress, poorer quality of life, younger age, and greater time since diagnosis. Linear regressions showed clinical measures, quality of life, optimism, and self-blaming coping style explained 56.4% of strength of unmet needs. Anxiety, functional well-being, posttraumatic stress, and emotional well-being accounted for 40.7% of variance in fear of recurrence, with emotional well-being the strongest predictor.     

Correlates of quality of life-related outcomes in breast cancer patients participating in the Pathfinders pilot study

Objective: In a pilot study, participation in the Pathfinders program was associated with reductions in distress and despair and improvements in quality of life (QOL) among advanced breast cancer patients. This study explores the relationship between psychosocial resources invoked through the Pathfinders intervention and outcomes. Methods: Advanced breast cancer patients were enrolled in a prospective, single‐arm, pilot study of the Pathfinders psychosocial program. Participants met at least monthly with a licensed clinical social worker who administered the Pathfinders intervention, which focused on strengthening adaptive coping skills, identifying inner strengths, and developing a self‐care plan. Longitudinal assessments over 6 months used validated instruments to assess changes in Pathfinders targets (coping, social support, self‐efficacy, spirituality, and optimism) and outcomes (distress, despair, QOL, and fatigue). Multiple linear regression models examined the joint effect of average changes in target subscales on average outcome changes, adjusted for baseline outcome scores and patient characteristics. Results: Participants (n=44) were: mean age 51 (SD, 12), 20% non‐Caucasian, 50% college degree, and 75% married. Improvements in active coping skills, self‐efficacy, and spiritual meaning/peace significantly correlated with an improvement in despair after adjustment for demographic characteristics (all P<0.05). Improvements in social support significantly correlated with positive changes in distress (P<0.05). Gains in learned optimism independently correlated with an increase in overall QOL (P<0.01). Conclusions: In this pilot assessment, changes in pre‐defined Pathfinders targets such as coping skills, social support, self‐efficacy, spirituality, and optimism correlated with improvements in patient‐reported outcomes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Application of a stress and coping model to positive and negative adjustment outcomes in colorectal cancer caregiving

This study examined relations between stress and coping predictors and negative (distress) and positive (positive affect, life satisfaction, positive states of mind, health) adjustment outcomes in colorectal cancer caregivers. A total of 622 caregivers and their care‐recipients completed questionnaires and interviews. Predictors included caregiving parameters, social support, appraisal (stress, control, challenge), and coping strategies (problem‐solving, avoidance, substance use, religion, humor, seeking social support). Regression analyses indicated that after controlling for the effects of relevant caregiving parameters (caregiver age, gender and paid employment status, care‐recipient quality of life, cancer stage), better caregiver adjustment was related to higher social support, lower stress and higher challenge appraisals, and less reliance on avoidance and substance use coping, as hypothesized. Stress appraisal emerged as the strongest and most consistent predictor of all adjustment outcomes. Findings support the utility of the stress and coping model of adjustment to caregiving in colorectal cancer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The roles of hope and optimism on posttraumatic growth in oral cavity cancer patients

To investigate the association of the positive coping strategies, hope and optimism, on posttraumatic growth (PTG) in oral cavity (OC) cancer patients. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted and performed in the outpatient station of the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, PR China. Fifty patients successfully treated for OC cancer were recruited after their informed consents had been obtained during the review clinic. During their regular follow-up controls in the outpatient clinic, the patients compiled the posttraumatic growth inventory (PTGI) questionnaire, hope scale (HS) and the life orientation scale-revised (LOT-R). Hope and optimism correlated significantly positive with PTG and accounting together for a 25% variance of posttraumatic growth. Hope positively correlated with posttraumatic growth (r=.49, p<.001) as well as optimism (r=.31, p<.05). When compared to unmarried patients, married patients showed high levels of PTG and hope (married participants: mean=53.15, SD=11.04; unmarried participants: mean=41.00, SD=6.36; t (48)=2.403, p<.05). Hope and optimism represent important indicators for PTG in OC cancer patients. An intact dyad relationship seems to be important for hope and consecutive higher levels of PTG when compared to unmarried patients. Supportive psychological treatment strategies related to these two coping factors might be beneficial for OC cancer patients.     

If I don't laugh,I'll cry: Exploring humor coping in breast cancer

ABSTRACT

This study examined the relationship among humor coping, optimism, neuroticism, and depression in a sample of breast cancer survivors and matched control participants. Breast cancer survivors reported marginally lower levels of depression than the controls. In both groups, humor coping was not related to depression, optimism, or neuroticism, but depression was correlated negatively with optimism and positively with neuroticism. In the breast cancer group, humor coping was correlated with the coping subscales of self-distraction, positive reframing, planning, and active coping. In the control group, humor coping was correlated with the coping sub-scales of self-distraction, positive reframing, planning, venting, and using instrumental support. These results suggest either that humor coping is not a stable variable or that whether humor is a positive or negative coping technique depends partly on the population under study.     

Predictors and mediators of psychological adjustment in mothers of children newly diagnosed with cancer

Early psychological adjustment (PA) of mothers of children with cancer (MCC) and mothers of children with acute illnesses (MCA) were compared, and predictors and mediators of maternal adjustment were tested. Sixty-nine MCC and 22 MCA completed standardized measures of depression, anxiety, global mental health (GMH), concurrent stress and strains, social support, coping strategies and child behavior. MCC reported greater depressive symptomatology, emotion-focused coping, and social support than did MCA. For MCC, emotion-focused coping and child behavior both predicted depression, anxiety, and GMH; concurrent stress and strain mediated the relationship between child behavior and depression and between emotion-focused coping and each measure of adjustment. For MCA, only emotion-focused coping predicted PA and concurrent stress and strains mediated the relationship between emotion-focused coping and depression. These findings suggest that MCC have more PA difficulties that are uniquely related to their child's behavior than MCA. Concurrent stress and strains seems to be an important mediator of PA for both groups of mothers.     

Predictors of quality of life in newly diagnosed melanoma and breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QoL) is a multidimensional construct, and several psychosocial and medical factors can predict a patient's QoL. We investigated the impact of factors in the psychological stress processes on QoL 3 months after diagnosis of melanoma or breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In consecutive melanoma and breast cancer patients with localized disease, cancer-specific social support, coping with cancer, personality trait anger expression, non-cancer stress, sociodemographic variables, cancer and treatment variables, and QoL (evaluated as self-reported psychological and physical symptoms, self-perceived QoL, and depression) were assessed with validated quantitative questionnaires. The associations between QoL and the other factors were investigated with multivariate methods. RESULTS: Only a few factors differed between melanoma and breast cancer, in terms of treatment modalities and gender. The amount of received social support was higher among breast cancer patients. The predicting power of psychological stress factors on all the QoL measures was strong, but differed between the treatment groups (surgery only versus adjuvant treatment). Psychosocial factors were the strongest predictors of QoL, not cancer type or treatment. Behavioral Escape-Avoidance coping was associated with worse QoL. However, non-cancer life stresses showed the strongest QoL-decreasing influence. QoL-enhancing factors, including social support, were seen clearly only within the breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant treatment. CONCLUSIONS: QoL of newly diagnosed cancer patients is highly associated with psychosocial factors. Non-cancer life stresses seem to be very important in the QoL of newly diagnosed cancer patients. Adjuvant treatment may comprise supportive psychosocial factors that enhance QoL in cancer.     

Are inflammatory cytokines the common link between cancer-associated cachexia and depression?

The prevalence of depression among patients diagnosed with cancer is higher than among the general medical population and is associated with faster tumor progression and shortened survival time. Cancer-related depression often occurs in association with anorexia and cachexia, although until recently the relationship between these conditions has not been well understood. Cachexia is associated with poorer quality of life and survival outcomes and is theeventual cause of death in approximately 30% of all patients with cancer. Recent evidence has linked elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines with both depression and cachexia, and experiments have shown that introducing cytokines induces depression and cachectic symptoms in both humans and rodents, suggesting that there may be a common etiology at the molecular level. Therapeutic agents targeting specific cytokine molecules, such as interleukin-6 or tumor necrosis factor-alpha, are currently being evaluated for their potential to simultaneously treat both depression and cachexia pharmacologically. This review summarizes the available data suggesting a dual role for cytokines in the development of cancer-related depression and cachexia and describes how biologic therapies targeting specific cytokines may improve outcomes beyond depression and cachexia, such as survival and quality of life.     

Assessing self-efficacy for coping with cancer: development and psychometric analysis of the brief version of the Cancer Behavior Inventory (CBI-B)

Objective: The Cancer Behavior Inventory‐Brief Version (CBI‐B), a 12‐item measure of self‐efficacy for coping with cancer derived from the longer 33‐item version, was subjected to psychometric analysis. Method: Participants consisted of three samples: 735 cancer patients from a multicenter CCOP study, 199 from central Indiana, and 370 from a national sample. Samples were mixed with respect to initial cancer diagnosis. Participants completed the CBI‐B and measures of quality of life, optimism, life satisfaction, depression, and sickness impact. Results: Exploratory Factor Analysis with oblique rotation yielded four factors in the first sample: (1) Maintaining Independence and Positive Attitude; (2) Participating in Medical Care; (3) Coping and Stress Management; and (4) Managing Affect, which were confirmed in subsequent samples. Cronbach α coefficient for the 12‐item CBI‐B ranged from 0.84 to 0.88. Validity of the CBI‐B was demonstrated by positive correlations with measures of quality of life and optimism, and negative correlations with measures of depression and sickness impact. Conclusion: The CBI‐B is a valid brief measure of self‐efficacy for coping that could be easily integrated into clinical oncology research and practice, and also used in screening patients. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quality of life and mood in women receiving extensive chemotherapy for gynecologic cancer

BACKGROUND: Quality of life (QOL) and mood were investigated among women who had received intensive chemotherapy for at least 1 year for advanced gynecologic cancers. Relationships of coping styles to QOL and mood in these patients also were examined. METHODS: Twenty-four patients who had been receiving chemotherapy continuously or intermittently for at least 1 year were recruited into the study. To control for the diagnosis of cancer and for prior hysterectomy, 24 age-matched early stage gynecologic cancer patients not receiving chemotherapy and assessed 1 year following diagnosis were examined as a comparison group. All subjects completed psychosocial assessments at a clinic visit. Medical information was retrospectively abstracted from patient charts. RESULTS: Decrements in physical, emotional, and functional well-being were reported by extensively treated patients, whereas social well-being and satisfaction with the relationship between doctor and patient were close to the norms of the comparison group. Extensively treated patients reported more fatigue and less vigor, but their depression and anxiety did not differ from early stage patients. Almost all extensively treated patients reported that their treatment had been worthwhile. Patients using avoidant coping reported poorer physical and emotional well-being, along with greater anxiety, depression, fatigue, and total mood disturbance. Those using active coping reported better social well-being, better relationships with their doctors, and less overall distress. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that gynecologic oncology patients extensively treated with chemotherapy experienced substantial decrements to quality of life, and yet treatment still was considered worthwhile by a majority of patients. Avoidant coping may be a particular risk factor for poor QOL and greater distress.     

中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理特征及临床意义

目的探讨中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理特征及临床意义。方法选取110例新确诊的中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者,分别采用Connor-Davidson心理韧性量表(CD-RISC)、Zung抑郁自评量表、一般自我效能感量表(GSES)、社会支持评定量表(SSRS)、医学应对问卷(MCMQ)和世界卫生组织生存质量(WHOQOL-100)测定量表对患者的心理弹性、抑郁程度、自我效能水平、社会支持、应对方式和生活质量进行评分,分析患者心理弹性评分与各量表评分的相关性。结果新确诊中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理弹性总分为(58.5±12.6)分,抑郁评分为(59.2±8.7)分,自我效能水平评分为(31.5±7.7)分,社会支持评分为(36.9±7.5)分,生活质量评分为(59.7±13.2)分。应对方式评分中,面对应对、回避应对及屈服应对评分分别为(18.7±5.5)、(15.2±3.9)和(9.4±3.5)分。新确诊中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理弹性评分与自我效能水平、社会支持、面对应对及生活质量评分均呈正相关(P﹤0.01),与屈服应对、抑郁评分均呈负相关(P﹤0.01)。结论新确诊中晚期非小细胞肺癌患者的心理弹性评分较低,且与自我效能、社会支持、面对应对和生活质量评分均呈正相关,与屈服应对、抑郁评分均呈负相关。     

Examining the influence of coping with pain on depression, anxiety, and fatigue among women with breast cancer

Breast cancer treatment can have a profound influence on a woman's physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. Anxiety, depression, anger, fatigue, and fear of recurrence are common responses to a diagnosis of breast cancer and undergoing breast cancer treatment. Women develop their own coping strategies for the pain and other effects of treatment. However, it is unclear whether there is a relationship between adaptation to pain and psychological distress during breast cancer treatment. Findings from the present study reveal that breast cancer patients who have better pain coping strategies also have lower levels of anxiety, fatigue and depression. These results suggest that pain coping interventions may reduce fatigue and psychological distress among women with breast cancer.     

Teaching head and neck cancer patients coping strategies: results of a feasibility study

To test the feasibility of providing a psycho-educational intervention for people with head and neck (H&N) cancer. A prospective non-randomized design was used. Subjects were patients with H&N cancer. They were offered the Nucare coping strategies program in one of three formats: small group and one-to-one formats with therapists; and a home format, with material for home use, without a therapist. Outcomes measures (quality of life (QOL) and anxiety and depression) were collected at baseline and following the intervention. Analyses were performed using non-parametric statistics. Of 128 people invited to participate, 66 agreed, 59 completed the intervention and 50 had outcomes data. Following the intervention, there were significant improvements in physical and social functioning and global QOL, and reduced fatigue, sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms. These data suggest that the intervention may have some beneficial effects, although an appropriately designed study is required to confirm this.