Preferred Coping Styles of Pediatric Cancer Patients During Invasive Medical Procedures

Abstract

Behavioral coping strategies used by 44 pediatric oncology patients during invasive medical procedures were assessed with a structured interview. The behavioral strategies were subsequently categorized into the following global coping styles: information seeking, information avoiding, and mixed. Coping style was unrelated to age and gender but was significantly related to measures of disease chronicity -time since diagnosis and number of previous procedures. No differences were found among children who had different coping styles on subjective ratings of anticipatory fear and degree of pain experienced or on behavioral observations of distress during invasive procedures. The results suggested that children's preferred styles of coping with invasive procedures may change with preferred styles of coping with invasive procedures may change with time and experience; however, a longitudinal study is needed to address this hypothesis prospectively.