Daily assessment of coping in patients with gastrointestinal cancer

Ninety-five patients with gastrointestinal (GI) cancer participated in a study concerning stressful events, coping and emotional well-being. Participants were either potentially cured (n=62) after radical surgery or non-cured (n=33). For a period of 1 week, close to being informed about their diagnosis, they performed daily recordings of stressful events, the distress occasioned by these events and their perception of control over them, coping, worry and happiness/sadness. Anxiety and depression were assessed by a single retrospective assessment at the end of the week (Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HAD) scale). The most commonly recorded stressful events were 'Somatic aspects' and 'Everyday concerns'. 'Somatic aspects', 'Social aspects' and 'Other consequences of the disease' were rated as most bothersome. Patients perceived that they had the highest degree of control over 'Returning home after hospital stay', whereas 'Contact with the medical services' was assigned low control. The most commonly used coping strategies were 'Acceptance' and 'Relaxation', and the least used was 'Religion'. Significant positive correlations between the occurrence of stressful events and the use of coping strategies were demonstrated between 'Somatic Aspects' and 'Acceptance'/'Direct Action', and between 'Social Aspects' and 'Seeking Social Support'. Daily assessment of stress-coping relationships represents a promising approach to the understanding of adaptation among cancer patients.