The relationship of dispositional optimism, daily life stress, and domestic environment to coping methods used by cancer patients

Friedman, Lois C.; Nelson, David V.; Baer, Paul E.; Lane, M. Daniel; Smith, Frank E.; Dworkin, Rosalind J.

doi:10.1007/bf00848321

Cited by 128 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…This study revealed that measures o1 physical impairment other than cancer site were significantly associated with fighting spirit, suggesting that performance status is among the more important medical factors affecting cancer patients' perception of stress, as opposed to the type of cancer. Some previous studies revealed that the type of cancer did not make a significant contribution to the prediction of coping method (Dunkel-Schetter et al, 1992;Friedman et al, 1992), but to our knowledge no study has examined the association between mental adjustment and performance status. The present result indicates that cancer patients with poorer performance status might have difficulty coping well with disease and consequently may experience more psychological distress.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Predictors of patients' mental adjustment to cancer: patient characteristics and social support

Akechi

Okamura²,

Yamawaki³

et al. 1998

Br J Cancer

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Because being diagnosed with cancer is considered to be extremely stressful, cancer patients' mental adjustment has been widely studied. Previous studies have revealed that cancer patients' mental adjustment is correlated with the quality of life and the degree of psychological distress and have suggested that one of the most adaptive adjustments is 'fighting spirit' whereas one of the most maladaptive is 'helplessness/hopelessness'. However, little is known about the association between patients' mental adjustment to cancer and their spouses characteristics or social support network. This paper describes a study of cancer patients' characteristics and social support factors as predictors of the patients' responses to having cancer. A total of 455 ambulatory cancer patients completed the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale and participated in a structured interview about their characteristics and social support. The results of multiple regression analysis suggested that size of household, performance status, support from physicians and satisfaction with support were predictive of patients' fighting spirit, whereas age, education, size of household, performance status and satisfaction with support were predictive of helplessness/hopelessness.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Predictors of patients' mental adjustment to cancer: patient characteristics and social support

Akechi

Okamura²,

Yamawaki³

et al. 1998

Br J Cancer

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“…Carver et al, 1994;Friedman et al, 1992;Shifrin, 1996;Tennen et al, 1994). Neither the PD nor the MS patients report intense feelings of depressed mood as measured by the BDI.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The positive effects of dispositional optimism on health can be accounted for by self-regulation theory, which states that individuals with positive expectations for the future are more likely to make an effort to reach their goals than those without such positive expectations. A rapidly growing body of empirical research has shown optimism to offer a fruitful perspective for explaining adaptation to a number of health problems (Scheier & Carver, 1992), including such chronic diseases as cancer (Friedman et al, 1992), breast cancer (Carver et al, 1994), Parkinson's disease (Shifren, 1996) and rheumatoid arthritis (Brenner, Melamed, & Panush, 1994). In particular, optimism appears to promote the use of problem-focused and approach strategies for coping, which are generally more bene cial than emotion-focused and avoidant strategies.…”

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confidence: 99%

The relative benefits of being optimistic: Optimism as a coping resource in multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease

Ridder

Schreurs

Bensing

2000

British J Health Psychol

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Objective. To explore two issues involving the relationship between optimism and adaptation in chronically ill patients. The rst issue involves the question whether the impact of optimism on adjustment is disease-speci c, that is whether patients who are confronted with extreme levels of uncontrollability and unpredictability generated by their condition bene t more from an optimistic attitude than those who are confronted with less high levels of those disease characteristics. The second issue relates to the question whether greater optimism produces better adjustment or whether, in contrast, a medium level of optimism plays a more adaptive role. Design. The cross-sectional design involves 166 patients with Parkinson' s disease (PD) or multiple sclerosis (MS) recruited from patient' s organizations.Method. Regression analyses were employed to test for a disease-speci c effect of dispositional optimism (measured by the Life Orientation Test) on coping (measured by the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations) and adjustment (measured by the Sickness Impact Pro le) by introducing interactions between optimism and disease in the analysis. Curvilinear effects were tested by introducing a squared optimism variable.Results. These show that optimism has a disease-speci c effect on physical adjustment and on the use of emotion-oriented and avoidant coping strategies. Although the study's cross-sectional design does not allow for causal inferences, these data suggest that MS patients may bene t more from optimism than PD patients and also that, in comparison with PD patients, optimism in MS patients does not necessarily promote avoidant and emotion-oriented coping. The results also show a medium level of optimism to promote the application of task-oriented and avoidant coping strategies. Conclusion.It is concluded that context-speci c constraints associated with type of disease may affect the assumed bene cial role of optimism on adjustment.Chronic illness confronts patients with numerous threats and challenges: the need to preserve a reasonable emotional balance and a satisfactory self-image; the need to maintain a sense of competence and mastery; the need to deal with pain, fatigue, and other symptoms of the disease; and the need to prepare for an uncertain future (Moos &

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“…Some studies have shown a significantly higher level of emotional distress and more problems in psychosocial adjustment in females than in males, 12,13 whereas others have found no significant gender differences in psychological responses. 14,15 There is also evidence suggesting that men's psychosocial adjustment after a diagnosis of cancer 16,17 may be poorer than that of women. Further, it has been found that QOL and psychosocial distress improve among the BMT-patients with the passage of time, especially during the first 3 years.…”

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confidence: 99%

Gender-associated differences in the quality of life after allogeneic BMT

Heinonen

Volin

Uutela

et al. 2001

Bone Marrow Transplant

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Summary:The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of life (QOL) of male and female allogeneic BMT recipients. One hundred and nine BMT patients participated in this cross-sectional survey and completed the following instruments: Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment (FACT-BMT version 3), shortened version of Profile of Mood States (POMS), MOS Survey of Social Support, and A Brief Measure of Social Support (SSQ6). Independent of the time post-BMT, perceived physical well-being, age at BMT, and education, females reported worse emotional well-being and more fatigue than males. Females also indicated more tiredness and less quality sleep. Males were found to experience less satisfaction with social support regardless of marital status. On the other hand, married males were more satisfied with their sexual life, more interested in sexual relationships, and more sexually active compared to married females. However, no significant differences between males and females were found in terms of overall physical, functional, and social well-being assessed by the FACT-BMT. The present results indicated that important gender differences exist among allogeneic BMT recipients which need to be addressed when designing post-treatment intervention programs for BMT recipients. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2001) 28, 503-509.

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The relationship of dispositional optimism, daily life stress, and domestic environment to coping methods used by cancer patients

Cited by 128 publications

References 48 publications

Predictors of patients' mental adjustment to cancer: patient characteristics and social support

Predictors of patients' mental adjustment to cancer: patient characteristics and social support

The relative benefits of being optimistic: Optimism as a coping resource in multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease

Gender-associated differences in the quality of life after allogeneic BMT

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