Validation of an inventory for the measurement of perceived stress and coping strategies in cancer patients (ISEAC)

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to present a new instrument (ISEAC) for the measurement of stress and coping strategies used in the specific stressful situations related to cancer. The ISEAC evaluates: a) the specific stressful situations related to the cancer disease, b) the level of stress-emotional discomfort experienced with regard to these situations, and c) the coping strategies that the patient uses for each of these situations. Methodology: The predictive validity of the instrument has been evaluated analyzing the relation between the punctuations of the ISEAC and measures of anxiety and depression (The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) and quality of life (Short-Form Health-Survey, SF-36). Seventy-eight cancer patients participated in the study and they were individually interviewed. Results: The results show that the area of greater worry in the patients is that related to the situation of negative emotions (irritable, apathetic, and/or sad state) and the worry about the discomfort produced by the patient’s illness in their relatives. The coping strategies more frequently used are, in this order, cognitive distraction, avoidance and the stoic acceptance of the disease. Both the total stress score as well as the stress in the specific different stressful situations are positively associated to anxiety and depression levels, but negatively related to quality of life indicators. As regards the coping strategies are concerned, stoicism is negatively related to quality of life, whereas the redefinition of the situation is negatively related to depression but positively associated to social functioning. Conclusions: The results suggest that the ISEAC can be useful in the psychological evaluation of the cancer patients and, specifically, in the detection of specifics areas (both related to stressful situations as with the way of coping) with need of intervention.