Scale of coping with cancer in cancer patients in the Mexican population

Abstract

Introduction: Coping styles can predict psychological adaptation and in the opposite direction a greater psychosocial dysfunction in patients with cancer. Two dimensions have been described: focused on the problem or positive assets, characterized by the search for information, planning and problem solving; and those directed at emotion or avoidant characterized by escape, distancing or despair have been consistently described in the literature. Objective: Determine the psychometric properties of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) in a sample of patients with cancer from the Mexican population. Method: Three hundred seventeen patients from the National Cancer Institute participated, of which 148 were women (46.7%) and 169 men (53.4%), with a mean age of 46.2 years. Completed concurrently the Mental Adjustment to Cancer , HADs and Distress Thermometer. Results: A factor analysis show to five factors explained 53.32% of the variance, with 22 items loading on factors in a way similar to the original version. The internal consistency of the overall scale was satisfactory (0.81). The concurrent validity assessed by way of correlations with concurrent measures showed significant associations (Pearson r= - 0.120 - 0.586, p<0.05). Discussion and conclusion: The Cancer Coping Scale extracted from MAC has adequate construct validity, internal consistency and concurrent validity for its use in cancer patients from the Mexican population. The relevance of these results is a cost effective tool to provide timely mental health care early in oncological treatment for those in need.