Coping Strategies Used in Women with Breast Cancer

Women diagnosed with breast cancer may experience great emotional distress and develop a variety of psychological problems including insomnia, loss of appetite, suicidal thoughts, fear of cancer recurrence and fear of death. Using the strategies cause individual’s health improvement andcoping. All these concerns can create psychosocial adjustment disturbances, including anxiety, depression other affects or coping disabilities. The aim of this study was to determine coping strategies used in women with breast cancer in Shiraz.Methods: In this study, 50 patients with breast cancer participated. Their adjuvant treatments had been completed. To measure coping strategies, was used Jalowiec coping strategies questionnaire. The results were analyzed by using spss.v.16. Results: The mean age of participants was 48.48 ± 8/53. 92% of the participants were married, 42% educated diploma and 70% housewife. Average of problem-oriented coping strategies score was(41.68± 10.29) and the average emotion-focused coping strategies scores was (81.56±11.27). Conclusion: Given that most women with breast cancer have used emotion-focused strategies. It is essential that the patient care team should pay attention to support and the necessary training related to problem-oriented strategy to women with breast cancer. Thus, it is suggested to be considered as a part of treatment program in these patients

Keywords:

Breast cancer , Coping Strategies