title: Psychometric analyses of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale in a Greek palliative care unit.
abstract: The purpose of the study was to assess the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale on a heterogeneous Greek sample of 200 advanced cancer patients. The results presented regard the validation analysis of the Greek version. The homogeneity of the original subscales proved to be satisfactory (alpha coefficients ranged from 0.81 to 0.91). A factor analysis was carried out using the LISREL 8.3 procedure. This yielded five factors, including 25 of the 40 original items (alpha coefficients 0.62-0.93). The resulting factors were called 'hopeless', 'positive attitude', 'acceptance', 'mental engagement', and 'fatalistic'. Correlations between the MAC scale and the disease severity as measured by the ECOG performance status have shown difference only between patients with 'good' versus 'poor' performance status in the 'hopeless' scale (p=0.047). The results suggest that the Greek version, as measured in advanced cancer patients attending a palliative care unit, is a reliable and valid clinical tool in Greece.
authors.affiliation: Pain Relief and Palliative Care Unit, Areteion Hospital, University of Athens, Greece. mistakidou@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mystakidou
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Eleni
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tsilika
authors.forename: Efi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Parpa
authors.forename: Afrodite
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Primikiri
authors.forename: Emmanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Katsouda
authors.forename: Lambros
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vlahos
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D010166:Palliative Care; D011581:Psychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results