Monitoring and blunting in palliative and curative radiotherapy consultations.
OBJECTIVE
The present research paper investigates how cancer patients' monitoring and blunting coping styles are reflected in their communications during their initial radiotherapy consultations and in their evaluations of the consultation. Additionally, it is explored how a patient's disease status (curative versus palliative) influences the effects of his or her cognitive styles.


METHODS
The study included 116 oncology patients receiving treatment from eight radiation oncologists. For 56 patients treatment intent was palliative and for the remaining 60 curative. The patients' communicative behaviors were assessed using the Roter Interaction Analysis System (RIAS). Within three days the patients completed a monitoring and blunting inventory and after another six weeks they evaluated the treatment decision and treatment information by postal questionnaire.


RESULTS
Monitoring was positively and blunting negatively related to the patient's expression of questions, emotions and decision-making issues. After six weeks 'high monitors' as opposed to 'low monitors' reported having more doubts about the treatment decision and being less satisfied with the information received while 'high blunters' expressed fewer doubts and more satisfaction than 'low blunters' did. Significant associations were all attributable to the palliative treatment group.


CONCLUSIONS
Cancer patients' communicative behaviors vis-à-vis their oncologist hinge on their cognitive styles and an unfavorable disease status enhances the effects.
Timmermans
Liesbeth M
LM
Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, The Netherlands. L.Timmermans@mps.umcn.nl
van Zuuren
Florence J
FJ
van der Maazen
Richard W M
RW
Leer
Jan Willem H
JW
Kraaimaat
Floris W
FW
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D003071:Cognition; D003142:Communication; D003657:Decision Making; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D009426:Netherlands; D010166:Palliative Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D011379:Prognosis; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000523:psychology; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric