Coping Behavior cancer patients with different levels of uncertainty in illness

Background. The achievements of modern medicine can prolong the life of cancer patients. At the same time, the accumulation of a large amount of new unclear or inconsistency information about disease makes it difficult for patients to assess their condition and predict the development of events, which leads to increased uncertainty in illness. Insufficient attention is paid to coping behavior patients conditions of illness with different levels of uncertainty in illness, and the assessment of their effectiveness. Objective. The research is studying coping behavior and levels of anxiety and depression of cancer patients with different levels of uncertainty in illness and treatment duration. Methods. The research included 213 cancer patients aged from 18 to 77 years receiving anticancer drug therapy. There are 115 people with a high level of uncertainty in illness and a shorter period of treatment (“HU”) and 98 people with a moderate level of uncertainty in illness and a longer treatment duration (“MU”). In research we used socio-demographic and clinical questionnaires, Mishel’s uncertainty in illness scale (MIUS-A), the COPE inventory, the world assumptions scale, Treatment-related self-efficacy scale, multidimensional scale of perception of social support (MSPSS), Beck depression inventory, Back anxiety inventory. Results. Patients of “HU” and “MU” groups have different in coping strategies repertoire. “HU” group in compared “MU”-group more often use avoidance coping strategies and that are aimed at regulating emotion. “MU” group more often than “HU” use active coping strategies and strategies that change attitudes to distress. “MU” and “HU” groups have similar basic assumptions about the benevolence of the world and themselves. However, “HU” group in comparison with “MU” — believe they are unlucky and consider that positive and negative life events are not distributed justly. Moreover, they are less confident in their ability to overcome the events related to illness. Both groups of cancer patients feel the greatest social support from their families, and their significant ones. The levels of anxiety and depression were higher in the “HU” group than “MU”.

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