Identification of Cognitive Strategies Used by Cancer Patients as a Basis for Psychological Self-Support during Oncological Therapy

Karolina Osowiecka, Anna Kieszkowska-Grudny, Radosław Środa, Dominik Olejniczak and Monika Rucińska
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Karolina Osowiecka: Department of Psychology and Sociology of Health and Public Health, School of Public Health, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska 30, 10-082 Olsztyn, Poland
Anna Kieszkowska-Grudny: Minds of Hope, Sokołowska 9, 01-142 Warsaw, Poland
Radosław Środa: Department of Neurosurgery, Military Institute of Medicine, Szaserów 128, 04-141 Warsaw, Poland
Dominik Olejniczak: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Science, Medical University of Warsaw, Ul. Nielubowicza 5, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
Monika Rucińska: Department of Oncology, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Ul. Wojska Polskiego 37, 10-228 Olsztyn, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 15, 1-18

Abstract: Background: Cancer diagnosis is associated not only with health problems but also with psycho-social disability. Both medical and non-medical problems have impacts on cancer patients’ quality of life. The aim of the study was the identification of cognitive emotion regulation strategies among cancer patients during radiotherapy. Methods: The study was conducted on 78 radically treated cancer patients (median 63 years). A Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (CERQ) was used. Results: Cancer patients mostly used acceptance, positive refocusing, putting into perspective and refocus on planning. Age was inversely correlated with refocus on planning. Patients with higher levels of education tended to use rumination and catastrophizing less frequently ( p < 0.05). Adaptive cognitive strategies based on putting into perspective were more frequently used by professionally active patients ( p < 0.05). Patients who lived in cities used positive refocusing and putting into perspective significantly often and patients who lived in villages more frequently used catastrophizing ( p < 0.05). Among lung cancer patients, catastrophizing and rumination were popular ( p < 0.05) and breast cancer patients rarely used non-adaptive cognitive strategies. Conclusion: Cancer patients tended to use adaptive cognitive strategies. Personalized psychological support should be focused on lung cancer patients and older, less educated, unemployed individuals and people who lived in the countryside.

Keywords: cancer; cognitive strategies; psychological support (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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