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Variability and stability of coping in women with breast cancer

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Abstract

Purpose

It is examined whether coping reactions of women with a first manifestation of non-metastatic breast cancer are stable over time. It will be further determined whether there is a pattern in coping processes. Also predictors of coping variability will be identified, with the overall aim to evaluate the relevance of repeated coping measurement.

Methods

Semi-structured interviews were conducted twice with 254 breast cancer patients at baseline shortly after breast cancer surgery and again approximately 12 months later. Data pertaining to coping behaviour were collected and successively evaluated according to a standardized coping manual, the Hannover Coping Manual (HCM). Analyses of variance were used to examine the stability of HCM-coping dimensions as well as socio-demographic effects.

Results

Emotional coping responses remained stable over time, while various dimensions associated with cognitive coping showed considerable variability. Chemotherapy turned out to have the strongest effects on coping.

Conclusions

The findings of this prospective study are emphasizing the use of repeated coping assessments. They also underline the importance of social support for adaptive coping and point to the necessity of patient empowerment, especially in women receiving chemotherapy.

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Acknowledgements

This paper is based on a cohort study on the role of social and psychological factors in the course of breast cancer. It was supported by the German Research Association (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, grant numbers GE1167/1-1 and GE1167/1-2). We also thank the breast cancer patients for having consented to participate in this study over such a long period of time. The project had not been possible without the continuous support of the cooperating clinics, the Oststadt Hospital/Hannover Medical School (director, Prof. Dr. Peter Hillemanns), the Clinics of the Henrietten Foundation (director, PD. Dr. Wulf Siggelkow) and the Nordstadt Clinic (director, Prof. Dr. Werner Bader).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Medical Sociology Unit, Hannover Medical School, 30625, Hannover, Germany

    Rafaela Hervatin, Stefanie Sperlich, Heike Koch-Giesselmann & Siegfried Geyer

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  1. Rafaela Hervatin
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  2. Stefanie Sperlich
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  3. Heike Koch-Giesselmann
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  4. Siegfried Geyer
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Correspondence to Siegfried Geyer.

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Hervatin, R., Sperlich, S., Koch-Giesselmann, H. et al. Variability and stability of coping in women with breast cancer. Support Care Cancer 20, 2277–2285 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1334-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-011-1334-2

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