Coping Strategies and Their Effects on Quality Of Life of Cancer Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Year 2023, , 425 - 432, 18.12.2023

Çiğdem Ökten , Havva Gezgin Yazıcı

https://doi.org/10.26453/otjhs.1229643

Abstract

Objective: The study aimed to investigate the coping strategies employed by individuals diagnosed with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic and the effects of these strategies on their quality of life.
Materials and Methods: The present descriptive and cross-sectional study analysed 131 patients from June 1 to July 1, 2021, through the social media networks of several cancer-related associations. Personal information form, coping strategies form and Duke Health Profile were used to collect data via Google forms.
Results: The participants employed the strategies of spiritual beliefs (94.7%), social/emotional support (92.4%) and positive reframing (91.6%) most among all coping strategies. The Duke Health Profile (general health) score of the participants was 57.43 ± 16.20. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that social/emotional support, hobbies, substance use, and behavioural disengagement coping strategies were effective on the general health score (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: As a result, most of the patients use many coping strategies, and the coping strategies used seem to be effective in their quality of life. For this reason, oncology nurses should include practices to strengthen coping strategies in patient care.

Keywords

Cancer, coping strategies, COVID-19 pandemic, quality of life

COVID-19 Pandemisinde Kanser Hastalarının Başa Çıkma Stratejileri ve Yaşam Kalitesine Etkisi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu araştırmada COVID-19 salgını sırasında kanser tanısı olan bireylerin kullandıkları başa çıkma stratejileri ve yaşam kalitesine etkisinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır.
Materyal ve Metot: Tanımlayıcı ve kesitsel türde olan bu çalışma, 01 Haziran 2021- 01 Temmuz 2021 tarihleri arasında derneklerin sosyal medya ağları aracılığıyla 131 hasta ile yapılmıştır. Google formlar aracılığı ile kişisel bilgi formu, başa çıkma stratejileri formu ve Duke Sağlık Profili veri toplamada kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Katılımcıların sırasıyla fonksiyonel başa çıkma stratejilerinden en çok Spiritual beliefs (%94,7), Sosyal/Emosyonel Destek (%92,4), Pozitif Yeniden Çerçeveleme (%91,6), Kabullenme (%87,8) stratejilerini, fonksiyonel olmayan başa çıkma stratejilerinden ise en çok Kendi kendine dikkat dağıtma (%84,0) stratejisini kullandıkları bulunmuştur. Katılımcıların Duke sağlık profili genel sağlık skoru 57,43±16,20 olarak belirlenmiş olup Sosyal/Emosyonel Destek, Hobiler, Davranışsal Ayrılma başa çıkma stratejileri ile genel sağlık skoru arasında anlamlı bir ilişkinin olduğu görülmüştür.
Sonuç: Sonuç olarak, hastaların çoğu birçok başa çıkma stratejisini kullanmaktadır ve kullanılan başa çıkma stratejilerinin yaşam kalitesi üzerinde etkili olduğu görülmektedir. Bu nedenle Onkoloji hemşireleri hastanın bakımına başa çıkma stratejilerini güçlendirmeye yönelik uygulamaları da katmalıdır.

Keywords

Başa çıkma stratejileri, COVID-19 pandemisi, kanser, yaşam kalitesi

References

• Colbourn T. COVID-19: extending or relaxing distancing control measures. Lancet Public Health. 2020;5:e236–e237. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(20)30072-4
• Monahan C, Macdonald J, Lytle A, Apriceno M, Levy SR. COVID-19 and ageism: how positive and negative responses impact older adults and society. Am Psychol. 2020;75:887–896. doi:10.1037/amp0000699
• Wu Z, McGoogan JM. Characteristics of and important lessons from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in China: summary of a Report of 72 314 Cases From the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. JAMA. 2020;323:1239–1242. doi:10.1001/jama.2020.2648
• Chen G, Wu Q, Jiang H, et al. Fear of disease progression and psychological stress in cancer patients under the outbreak of COVID-19. Psycho-Oncology. 2020;29:1395–1398. doi:10.1002/pon.5451
• Frey MK, Chapman-Davis E, Glynn SM, et al. Adapting and avoiding coping strategies for women with ovarian cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gynecol Oncol. 2021;160:492–498. doi:10.1016/j.ygyno.2020.11.017
• Lee LY, Cazier J, Angelis V, et al. COVID-19 mortality in patients with cancer on chemotherapy or other anticancer treatments: a prospective cohort study. Lancet. 2020;395:1919–1926. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31173-9
• Kuderer NM, Choueiri TK, Shah DP, et al. Clinical impact of COVID-19 on patients with cancer (CCC19): a cohort study. Lancet. 2020;395:1907–1918. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31187-9
• Brivio E, Guiddi P, Scotto L, et al. Patients living with breast cancer during the coronavirus pandemic: the role of family resilience, coping flexibility, and locus of control on affective responses. Front Psychol. 2021;11:3711. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.567230
• Van De Poll-Franse LV, De Rooij BH, Horevoorts NJE, et al. Perceived care and well-being of patients with cancer and matched norm participants in the COVID-19 crisis: results of a survey of participants in the Dutch PROFILES Registry. JAMA Oncol. 2021;7:279–284. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.6093
• Charsouei S, Esfahlani MZ, Dorosti A, Zamiri RE. Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on perceived stress, quality of life, and coping strategies of women with breast cancer with spinal metastasis under chemotherapy. Int J Womens Health Reprod Sci. 2021:55–60. doi:10.15296/ijwhr.2021.10
• Girma A, Ayalew E, Mesafint G. COVID-19 pandemic-related stress and coping strategies among adults with chronic disease in Southwest Ethiopia. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2021;17:1551–1561. doi:10.2147/NDT.S308394
• Türkcü SG, Uludağ E, Serçekuş P, Özkan S, Yaren A. Experiences and coping strategies of women receiving treatment for breast and gynecological cancers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study. Eur J Oncol Nurs. 2021;54. doi:10.1016/j.ejon.2021.102045
• Folkman S, Lazarus RS. If it changes it must be a process: study of emotion and coping during three stages of a college examination. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1985;48:150–170. doi:10.1037//0022-3514.48.1.150
• Carver CS. You want to measure coping but your protocol’too long: consider the brief cope. Int J Behav Med. 1997;4:92–100. doi:10.1207/s15327558ijbm0401_6
• Tuncay T. Coping and quality of life in Turkish women living with ovarian cancer. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2014;15:4005–4012. doi:10.7314/apjcp.2014.15.9.4005
• Nipp RD, El‐Jawahri A, Fishbein JN, et al. The relationship between coping strategies, quality of life, and mood in patients with incurable cancer. Cancer. 2016;122:2110–2116. doi:10.1002/cncr.30025
• Beesley VL, Smith DD, Nagle CM, et al. Coping strategies, trajectories, and their associations with patient-reported outcomes among women with ovarian cancer. Support Care Cancer. 2018;26:4133–4142. doi:10.1007/s00520-018-4284-0
• Nipp RD, Greer JA, El-Jawahri A, et al. Coping and prognostic awareness in patients with advanced cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2017;35:2551–2557. doi:10.1200/JCO.2016.71.3404
• Hagan TL, Fishbein JN, Nipp RD, et al. Coping in patients with incurable lung and gastrointestinal cancers: a validation study of the Brief COPE. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2017;53:131–138. doi:10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.06.005
• Chirico A, Serpentini S, Merluzzi T, et al. Self-efficacy for coping moderates the effects of distress on quality of life in palliative cancer care. Anticancer Res. 2017;37:1609–1615. doi:10.21873/anticanres.11491
• The Code of Ethics of the World Medical Association (Declaration of Helsinki) https://www.wma.net/policies-post/wma-declaration-of-helsinki-ethical-principles-for-medical-research-involving-human-subjects/. Accessed April 10, 2021
• Greer JA, Applebaum AJ, Jacobsen JC, Temel JS, Jackson VA. Understanding and addressing the role of coping in palliative care for patients with advanced cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2020;38:915–925. doi:10.1200/JCO.19.00013
• Pinkawa M, Gharib A, Schlenter M, Timm L, Eble MJ. Quality of life more than 10 years after radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer—impact of time after treatment and prescription dose. Qual Life Res. 2021;30:437–443. doi:10.1007/s11136-020-02639-7
• Galica J, Liu Z, Kain D et al. Coping during COVID-19: a mixed methods study of older cancer survivors. Support Care Cancer. 2021;29:3389–3398. doi:10.1007/s00520-020-05929-5
• Parkerson Jr GR, Broadhead WE, Tse CKJ. The Duke Health Profile: a 17-item measure of health and dysfunction. Med Care. 1990;28:1056–1072. doi:10.1097/00005650-199011000-00007
• Kuzu N, Zencir M, Beşer N, Şahiner T, Parkerson G. Reliability and validity of the Duke Health Profile. Journal of Hacettepe School of Nursing 2004;11(2):35–44.
• Shamblaw AL, Rumas RL, Best MW. Coping during the COVID-19 pandemic: Relations with mental health and quality of life. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 2021; 62.1: 92. doi:10.1037/cap0000263
• Tuncay, T. Kanserle başetmede destek grupları. Toplum ve Sosyal Hizmet, 2010;21(1):59-71.
• Brunault P, Champagne AL, Huguet G et al. Major depressive disorder, personality disorders, and coping strategies are independent risk factors for lower quality of life in non‐metastatic breast cancer patients. Psycho Oncol. 2016;25:513–520. doi:10.1002/pon.3947
• Younger E, Smrke A, Lidington E et al. Health-related quality of life and experiences of sarcoma patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cancers. 2020;12:2288. doi:10.3390/cancers12082288