The role of meaning in gastric cancer patients: relationships among meaning structures, coping, and psychological well-being

ABSTRACT

Background and Objectives: Research demonstrates that the experience of cancer invariably violates patients’ meaning structures, prompting them to use coping strategies to alleviate stress and enhance well-being. The current study aimed to examine the mediating effects of coping strategies in the relationship between global and situational meaning and psychological well-being in gastric cancer patients.

Design and Method: One hundred eighty-seven patients (96 women and 91 men) with gastric cancer completed questionnaires measuring meaning in life, changes of beliefs and goals, coping, and psychological well-being. Participants were between 27 and 82 years of age. They were diagnosed with gastric cancer from 1 to 3.2 years ago. Using Structural Equation Modeling, both the direct and indirect associations between meaning structures, coping, and psychological well-being were examined.

Results: Meaning in life exerted significant indirect effects on psychological well-being through three coping strategies: problem-, emotion-, and meaning-focused. The relationship between changes of beliefs and goals and psychological well-being was also mediated by coping.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that coping strategies are mediators in the relationship between global and situational meaning and psychological well-being. They also provide empirical evidence that in severe cancer-related stress conditions both meaning structures and coping strategies influence patients’ psychological well-being.

KEYWORDS:

• Meaning in life
• changes of beliefs and goals
• coping
• psychological well-being
• gastric cancer

Acknowledgements

The authors deeply appreciate all the patients participating in the study. We would like to acknowledge the support of the nurses, psychologists, and decision makers in Oncology Hospitals in Opole, Gliwice, Konin, Czestochowa, and Nysa who contributed their time and ideas.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.