title: Coping styles among Japanese women with breast cancer.
abstract: In order to investigate changes in coping styles before and after diagnosis of cancer, and the relationship between coping styles and emotional states among Japanese women, we conducted a study using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and Dealing With Illness-Coping Inventory. Coping methods such as active-cognitive, active-behavioral and avoidance were found to be more frequently used after the women were diagnosed with cancer than before (p < 0.001). There were also positive correlations between active-reliance behavior and tension-anxiety and depression, between cognitive-passive behavior and depression and lack-of-vigor, between passive-resignation behavior and anger-hostility and confusion, and between avoidance-solitary behavior and anger-hostility, fatigue, depression, lack-of-vigor and confusion. In conclusion, a diagnosis of cancer causes a patient to use more frequently avoidance behavior as well as active coping styles, and these passive/avoidance coping styles are often correlated with negative emotions. These results imply that patients with breast cancer need support considering the relationship between passive/avoidance coping styles and negative emotions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hosaka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tokuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kojoh
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged