Adaptive style in children with cancer: implications for a positive psychology approach

OBJECTIVE: To describe the adaptive style paradigm as a heuristic model for understanding the very positive psychosocial adjustment that has been observed in children with cancer, and to integrate findings regarding repressive adaptive style into a broader positive psychology framework. METHOD: A selective review of the literature on adaptive style, and its' relevance to outcomes of depressive symptoms, posttraumatic stress symptoms, somatic distress, and health-related quality of life in children with cancer. RESULTS: Studies have found children with cancer report low levels of psychological distress. Adaptive style is a much stronger predictor of psychosocial outcomes than is health history. CONCLUSION: Children with cancer represent a flourishing population. A repressive adaptive style is one pathway to resilience in this population. Additional constructs from the domain of positive psychology are reviewed, and a positive psychology model is suggested as a framework for guiding future research in this area.