Coping and psychological distress in young adults with advanced cancer.

Background: Little is known about how young adults (YAs) cope with cancer or about the relationship between coping and psychological distress in YAs with advanced cancer.

Objectives: The goals of this study were to identify coping strategies used by YAs with advanced cancer and examine the relationship between these coping strategies and psychological distress.

Methods: Using structured clinical interviews with 53 YAs (aged 20-40 years) with advanced cancer, researchers assessed coping methods, depression, anxiety, and grief. A principal components factor analysis identified underlying coping factors. Regression analyses examined the relationship between these coping factors and depression, anxiety, and grief.

Results: Six coping factors emerged and were labeled as proactive, distancing, negative expression, support-seeking, respite-seeking, and acceptance coping. Acceptance and support-seeking coping styles were used most frequently. Coping by negative expression was positively associated with severity of grief after researchers controlled for depression, anxiety, and confounding variables. Support-seeking coping was positively associated with anxiety after researchers controlled for depression and grief.

Limitations: This study was limited by a cross-sectional design, small sample size, and focus on YAs with advanced cancer.

Conclusions: YAs with advanced cancer utilize a range of coping responses that are uniquely related to psychological distress.