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Goal Navigation, Approach-Oriented Coping, and Adjustment in Young Men with Testicular Cancer

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Cancer can challenge important life goals for young adult survivors. Poor goal navigation skills might disrupt self-regulation and interfere with coping efforts, particularly approach-oriented attempts. Two studies are presented that investigated relationships among goal navigation processes, approach-oriented coping, and adjustment (i.e., social, emotional, and functional well-being) in separate samples of young adults with testicular cancer.

Methods

In study 1, in-depth interviews (N = 21) were analyzed using thematic analysis to understand experiences of goal pursuit following cancer. In study 2, 171 men completed measures of goal navigation, coping, and adjustment to cancer.

Results

In study 1, three prominent themes emerged: goal clarification, goal engagement and disengagement, and responses to disrupted goals. Regression analyses in study 2 revealed that goal navigation skills were positively associated with emotional (B = .35, p < .001), social (B = .24, p < .01), and functional (B = .28, p < .001) well-being, as was approach-oriented coping (B = .22, p < .01; B = .32, p < .001; B = .26, p < .001, respectively). Goal navigation moderated associations between approach-oriented coping and well-being, such that those with low goal navigation ability and low approach-oriented coping reported lower well-being.

Conclusions

Goal navigation skills and approach-oriented coping have unique and interactive relationships with adjustment to testicular cancer. They likely represent important independent targets for intervention, and goal navigation skills might also buffer the negative consequences of low use of approach-oriented coping.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by funds from the Livestrong Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health (5T32MH015750 and 5T32MH078788). We thank Lisa Rubin, Bennett Allen, and Dulci Pitagora for their contributions to this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, 695 Park Avenue, Room HN-611, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Michael A. Hoyt Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychology, Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Michael A. Hoyt Ph.D.

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA

    Kristi E. Gamarel Ph.D.

  4. Department of Urology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Christopher S. Saigal M.D.

  5. Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Christopher S. Saigal M.D. & Annette L. Stanton Ph.D.

  6. Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Annette L. Stanton Ph.D.

  7. Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, Semel Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Annette L. Stanton Ph.D.

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  1. Michael A. Hoyt Ph.D.
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  2. Kristi E. Gamarel Ph.D.
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  3. Christopher S. Saigal M.D.
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  4. Annette L. Stanton Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Michael A. Hoyt Ph.D..

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Authors’ Statement of Conflict of Interest and Adherence to Ethical Standards

Authors’ Statement of Conflict of Interest and Adherence to Ethical Standards Authors Hoyt, Gamarel, Saigal, and Stanton declare that they have no conflict of interest. All procedures, including the informed consent process, were conducted in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000.

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Hoyt, M.A., Gamarel, K.E., Saigal, C.S. et al. Goal Navigation, Approach-Oriented Coping, and Adjustment in Young Men with Testicular Cancer. ann. behav. med. 50, 572–581 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9785-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9785-9

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