Stress and coping strategies for women diagnosed with breast cancer: a transversal study

Abstract

Aim: To verify the occurrence of stressful situations and the use of methods to deal/cope with such by women diagnosed with breast cancer. Method: Transversal study of 21 women, based on Lipp's Inventory of Stress Symptoms in Adults instrument (ISSL, in Portuguese) and the Scale on Ways to Deal with Problems (EMEP, in Portuguese). Results: The presence of stress was seen in 66.7% of the women. Religious practice was the most-used coping strategy seen in the sample (52.4%), especially in the group in which stress was observed. In the no-stress group, the main coping technique was to focus on the problem (23.7%). Discussion: While dealing with the disease by focusing on the problem, women seemed not to feel stressed. Conclusion: The situations of stress provoked by breast cancer require that the patients adapt and cope with it. In terms of the research, so far, nursing staff must act to mediate the most adaptive responses to the situation created by the illness.

Avaliação de famílias com mais de uma mulher mastectomizada: estudo de caso

“…A categoria estrutural compreende a estrutura da família, ou seja, quem faz parte dela, qual é o vínculo afetivo entre seus elementos em comparação com as pessoas de fora, e qual é o seu contexto (2,7) . Três aspectos da estrutura familiar podem ser verificados: estrutura interna, estrutura externa e contexto, com suas subcategorias (6) , descritas na Figura 1.…”

“…Para que ele seja bem sucedido, os familiares, desde a ocasião da descoberta, precisarão conhecer as possíveis alterações advindas dos tratamentos, os sinais das complicações, bem como atuar de forma assertiva nas possíveis intercorrências (4)(5) . Dessa forma, a comoção que a doença oncológica causa na família e as formas de enfrentamento são particulares em cada unidade familiar, pois têm valores, crenças, histórias e rotinas diferentes (5)(6) . Os profissionais, com base nas investigações realizadas, necessitam usar seus conhecimentos sobre cada família a fim de garantir uma assistência holística, de forma a relacionar fatores biológicos, sociais e espirituais, preparando a partir disso o melhor cuidado (1,3) .…”

Estresse em pacientes submetidos a tratamento antineoplásico Stress in patients submitted to drug therapy

“…It is a disease that can lead to negative feelings, hampering the development of the fighting to facilitate and to collaborate in a more realistic and positive way with the patient. 5,7,17 In this study, to realize the chi-square test did not observe an association between stress and the variables: age, sex, disease, occupational activity, discovery of disease duration, disease treatment time and state of anxiety, ie, value p> 0.05, not significant.…”

“…6 This writer stress as a nonspecific organic response to stressful situations within the individual body. 7 In 2001, other researchers, 8 defined stress as a suitability reaction/ adjustment of the organism from situations that require a large emotional stress to be dislodged, or stress situations.…”

“…It can also be classified according to treatment period in which it is held, and may be secondary, that is, performed after a primary treatment such as surgery and; neoadjuvant when it is performed before the main treatment [4][5] The treatment alters the patient's life, the prospects and possibilities of choice and everyday life is interrupted, the person is removed from society that is accustomed and inhabits the world of the hospital, the drugs and their effects, treatment and its invasive procedures, absence from work, friends, family, and thus can expose the patient to a level of stress. [6][7] The term stress was introduced in the health field in 1936 by Hans Selye. 6 This writer stress as a nonspecific organic response to stressful situations within the individual body.…”