An Examination of Coping Style and Quality of Life of Cancer Patients Who Attend a Prostate Cancer Support Group

Abstract

This study examined the coping style and quality of life of men who attended a prostate cancer support group. Fourteen men who attended the support group and 37 controls were assessed using the Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale and the 36-item Health Survey. Men in the support group endorsed a coping style of anxious preoccupation (t=3.47, p<.01) and a coping style with low helplessness and hopelessness and high fighting spirit (t= 2.594, p <.05). The Health Survey measured no significant difference in quality of life (t= .69, p >.90). Only 3% of the controls reported that they would have attended a support group if they had known about it. Forty percent said they would not attend, and 57% were not sure.

Key Words:

• rostate cancer
• social support
• quality of life
• coping style