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Repressive adaptation in children with cancer
1Division of Behavioral Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, Tennessee 38105-2794, USA. sean.phipps@stjude.org
Summary
Children with cancer may use repressive coping styles, leading to lower self-reported depression. This study explored adaptive styles and avoidant coping in pediatric oncology patients, finding repressors reported less depression.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Pediatric Oncology
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Children with cancer often report lower depression, a finding needing explanation.
- Repressive adaptive style and avoidant coping (blunting) are potential factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate repressive adaptive style and blunting as explanations for lower depression in pediatric cancer patients.
- To compare coping mechanisms and depression levels between children with cancer and healthy controls.
Main Methods:
- Assessed depressive symptoms, trait anxiety, defensiveness, and coping styles (approach/avoidant) in 107 pediatric oncology patients and 442 healthy children (ages 7-16).
- Utilized the adaptive style paradigm to categorize participants.
Main Results:
- Oncology patients showed lower depression and anxiety, but higher defensiveness.
- A significant excess of repressors was found in the cancer group.
- Repressors reported the lowest depressive symptoms, supporting the repressive adaptation hypothesis.
Conclusions:
- Repressive adaptive style may explain lower self-reported depression in children with cancer.
- Blunting was higher in cancer patients but showed a weak association with depression.
- Findings contribute to the discussion on cancer-personality style associations.