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The mental adjustment to cancer scale—a psychometric analysis and the concept of coping
Author(s) -
Nordin Karin,
Berglund Gunilla,
Terje Ingrid,
Glimelius Bengt
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
psycho‐oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.41
H-Index - 137
eISSN - 1099-1611
pISSN - 1057-9249
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-1611(199905/06)8:3<250::aid-pon379>3.0.co;2-j
Subject(s) - lisrel , psychology , coping (psychology) , clinical psychology , mental health , psychometrics , psychiatry , statistics , structural equation modeling , mathematics
A psychometric analysis of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale was performed in a heterogeneous Swedish sample of cancer patients ( n =868). The homogeneity of the original subscales proved to be satisfactory (α coefficients 0.61–0.81). The sample was randomly split into two subgroups, and a factor analysis was carried out in one of them using the LISREL 8.20 procedure. This yielded four factors called ‘Hopeless’, ‘Positive’, ‘Anxious’ and ‘Avoidant’ including 28 of the 40 original items (α coefficients 0.58–0.81). The novel factor structure was cross‐validated and confirmed in the second subgroup. In contrast to the original scale (one item), ‘Avoidance’, was indexed by three items. The distinction between mental adjustment and coping is discussed. It is concluded that both versions of the MAC scale are measures of mental adjustment including emotional reactions as well as coping. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.