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Variability and stability of coping styles among breast cancer survivors: A prospective study
Author(s) -
SchouBredal Inger,
Ekeberg Øivind,
Kåresen Rolf
Publication year - 2021
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/pon.5587
Subject(s) - coping (psychology) , breast cancer , learned helplessness , anxiety , clinical psychology , distress , avoidance coping , psychology , prospective cohort study , medicine , psychiatry , cancer
Abstract Objectives We aimed to examine: (1) the long‐term association between coping styles and psychological distress, (2) if women diagnosed with breast cancer have a predominant coping style, (3) stability of coping styles, (4) predictors of changes in coping styles, (5) if maladaptive coping adversely impacts disease‐free survival (DFS). Methods This prospective study included women diagnosed with primary breast cancer during 2006–2009. Patients completed questionnaires for the Norwegian Mini‐Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale, which includes positive attitude (PA), helplessness/hopelessness (HH), anxious preoccupation (AP), and avoidance (AV), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at diagnosis and 1, 3, and 5 years postdiagnosis. Results Two hundred and ninety‐three of 367 women (79.8%) completed the questionnaires at all time points. Anxiety and depression were moderately to strongly correlated with HH and AP coping styles ( r = 0.31 to r = 0.69) at all time points. The predominant coping style was PA (23.4–29.9%). Stability for PA and cognitive AV styles was found at the group level, but not at an individual level. Chemotherapy and comorbidity were predictors for HH, AP, and AV 5 years postdiagnosis ( p < 0.05). Maladaptive coping was not associated with DFS. Conclusions HH and AP were associated with higher psychological distress at all times. Group level coping remained stable over time for PA and AV. Coping style stability at an individual level was not observed. Having received chemotherapy and experienced adverse events affected coping at 5 years postdiagnosis. Maladaptive coping was not associated with DFS.