Symptom Experiences and Coping Strategies among Multi-ethnic Solid Tumor Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy in Malaysia

Abstract

Background: This study was performed to assess patient symptoms prevalence, frequency and severity, as well as distress and coping strategies used, and to identify the relationships between coping strategies and psychological and physical symptoms distress and demographic data of cancer patients. This cross-sectional descriptive study involved a total of 268 cancer patients with various types of cancer and chemotherapy identified in the oncology unit of an urban tertiary hospital. Materials and Methods: Data were collected using questionnaires (demographic questionnaire, Medical characteristics, Memorial Symptom Assessment Scale (MSAS) and Brief COPE scales and analyzed for demographic, and disease-related variable effects on symptom prevalence, severity, distress and coping strategies. Results: Symptom prevalence was relatively high and ranged from 14.9% for swelling of arms and legs to 88.1% for lack of energy. This latter was the highest rated symptom in the study. The level of distress was found to be low in three domains. Problem-focused coping strategies were found to be more commonly employed compared to emotion-focused strategies, demonstrating significant associations with sex, age group, educational levels and race. However, there was a positive correlation between emotion-focused strategies and physical and psychological distress, indicating that patients would choose emotion-focused strategies when symptom distress increased. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that high symptom prevalence rates and coping strategies used render an improvement in current nursing management. Therefore development of symptoms management groups, encouraging the use of self-care diaries and enhancing the quality of psychooncology services provided are to be recommended.

The Influence of Resilience on the Coping Strategies in Patients with Primary Brain Tumors

“…Gender was noted as a significant predictor of problem-focused coping. These findings correspond to those of a previous study [29] and support that gender is a factor that influences the coping strategy adopted by cancer patients. However, our finding contradicts other studies that found that men are more likely to choose problem-focused coping, and women are more likely to choose emotion-focused coping [30,31].…”

Fatigue Experience and Coping Strategies among Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy

“…The less common strategies used was "Substance use". The finding was similar with the study finding of Yahaya et al 13 that showed the most common used coping strategies were "Religion", followed by "Acceptance", "Use of emotional support" and "Use of instrumental support" and least common strategies used were "Behavioral disengagement", "Denial", "Self-blame" and "Substance use".…”

“…12 Brief Cope Reliability, Cronbach's alpha: 0.789. 13 The research instrument content validity was set by research advisor, subject expert and linguistic professionals.…”

Relationship of family support and coping strategies with anxiety in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

“…DOI: 10.9790/0853-1708031620 www.iosrjournals.org 19 | Page chemotherapy. 13 In line with the research Saniah and Zainal, found that breast cancer patients who undergoing chemotherapy strategy EFC of highwill experience psychological distress. 14 According to Lazarus in Potter and Perry, states that the individual coping strategies are determined by the type of stress experienced by the individual, the individual life goals, beliefs about yourself and the world, and the personal resources of the individual.…”