title: Coping strategies and psychiatric morbidity in women attending breast assessment clinics.
abstract: This study examined the role of coping strategies and personality characteristics in mediating psychiatric morbidity in subjects facing possibly serious breast disease. Participating were 121 women aged 20 to 65 undergoing breast fine needle biopsy for a suspicious lesion on mammography. All subjects received psychosocial assessments including the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the Eysenck Personality Inventory (EPI) and the Coping Strategies Inventory. The results show that neuroticism was the only EPI subscore significantly correlated with GHQ-12 score. A habitual method of coping with adversity known as 'engagement' has a negative correlation with GHQ-12 score; that is, patients who actively confront their illness and the uncertainty that surrounds it show better psychological health. Stepwise multiple regression reveals that neuroticism and an engagement coping strategy are the most significant predictors towards GHQ-12 score prior to the diagnosis of breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, National Cheng Kung University Medical College, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: David
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lea
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fahy
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000523:psychology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010555:Personality Inventory; D012803:Sick Role