title: Coping and psychological distress in young adults with advanced cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known about how young adults (YAs) cope with cancer or about the relationship between coping and psychological distress in YAs with advanced cancer.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goals of this study were to identify coping strategies used by YAs with advanced cancer and examine the relationship between these coping strategies and psychological distress.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using structured clinical interviews with 53 YAs (aged 20-40 years) with advanced cancer, researchers assessed coping methods, depression, anxiety, and grief. A principal components factor analysis identified underlying coping factors. Regression analyses examined the relationship between these coping factors and depression, anxiety, and grief.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six coping factors emerged and were labeled as proactive, distancing, negative expression, support-seeking, respite-seeking, and acceptance coping. Acceptance and support-seeking coping styles were used most frequently. Coping by negative expression was positively associated with severity of grief after researchers controlled for depression, anxiety, and confounding variables. Support-seeking coping was positively associated with anxiety after researchers controlled for depression and grief.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study was limited by a cross-sectional design, small sample size, and focus on YAs with advanced cancer.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  YAs with advanced cancer utilize a range of coping responses that are uniquely related to psychological distress.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Kelly M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Trevino
authors.forename: Paul K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Maciejewski
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fasciano
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greer
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Partridge
authors.forename: Elizabeth L
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Kacel
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Holly G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Prigerson
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006117:Grief; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D055815:Young Adult