Stress and Coping Strategies of Breast Cancer Patients and their Spouses.
- Author:
Kyeong Sook CHA
1
;
Yang Sook YOO
;
Ok Hee CHO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Breast Neoplasms; Life Stress; Coping Behavior
- MeSH: Adaptation, Psychological; Breast; Breast Neoplasms; Family Characteristics; Humans; Spouses; Stress, Psychological; Surveys and Questionnaires
- From:Asian Oncology Nursing 2012;12(1):20-26
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify the stress and the coping strategies in breast cancer patients and their spouses. METHODS: The stress level was measured by the Stress Questionnaire of Andersson & Albertsson (2000). The coping strategies were measured by the modified Lazarus & Folkman's Ways of Coping Questionnaire. The data were collected by a survey sampling 49 couples from one hospital in Seoul. The data were analyzed by t-test, ANOVA and paired t-test. RESULTS: There was no significant differences between the stress level of breast cancer patients and their spouses. The problem-focused coping of breast cancer patients was significant higher than their spouses. The cancer patients and their spouses used problem-focused coping mode more than emotion-focused coping mode. In the problem-focused coping mode, breast cancer patients used two coping strategies - 'seeking information' and 'cognitive reconstruction' - significantly more than their spouses. In emotion-focused coping mode, the breast cancer patients used one coping strategy, 'emotional expression', significantly more than the their spouses. CONCLUSION: Further study needs to attempt to develop nursing interventions that could improve positive coping strategies.
