Psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer

182 Pages·2015·4.95 MB·English

by  Jacqueline K. Schonholtz

Walden University
ScholarWorks
Frank Dilley Award for Outstanding Doctoral Study University Awards
2000
Psychosocial adjustment to breast cancer: The role
of marital support and approach coping
Jacqueline K. Schonholtz
Follow this and additional works at:http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dilley
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the University Awards at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Frank
Dilley Award for Outstanding Doctoral Study by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact
[email protected].
INFORMATION TO USERS
This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films
the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and
dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of
computer printer.
The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the
copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations
and photographs, print bieedthrough, substandard margins, and improper
alignment can adversely affect reproduction.
In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript
and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized
copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.
Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by
sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing
from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps.
Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced
xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6a x 9” black and white
photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing
in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order.
Bell & Howell Information and Learning
300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 USA
800-521-0600
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Psychosocial Adjustment to Breast Cancer
The Role of Marital Support and Approach Coping
by
Jacqueline K. Schonholtz
M.A., New York University, 1993
M.A., Boston University, 1989
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987
Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirement for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Psychology
Walden University
May 2000
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
UMI Number 9968785
Copyright 2000 by
Schonholtz, Jacqueline K.
All rights reserved.
UMI’
UMI Microform9968785
Copyright 2000 by Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company.
All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against
unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code.
Bell & Howell Information and Learning Company
300 North Zeeb Road
P.O. Box 1346
Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
ABSTRACT
Psychosocial Adjustment to Breast Cancer:
The Role of Marital Support and Approach Coping
by
Jacqueline K. Schonholtz
M.A., New York University, 1993
M.A., Boston University, 1989
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1987
Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of
the Requirement for the Degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
Psychology
Walden University
May 2000
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
ABSTRACT
This quantitative correlational study examined the role of approach coping and
marital support in predicting psychosocial adjustment in 21 married women receiving
chemotherapy for breast cancer. Psychosocial adjustment was assessed with the
Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale, a measure of overall adjustment to illness.
Approach coping was assessed with the Coping Responses Inventory, an inventory that
measures coping strategies for dealing with a stressful event. Marital support was
assessed with the Family Relationships Index, a measure of relationship functioning that
focuses on the amount of togetherness, open communication, and conflict in the
maniage. The independent variables of approach coping and marital adjustment were
entered in a stepwise regression with psychosocial adjustment as the criterion variable.
Results showed that approach coping and marital support explained a large portion of the
variance in psychosocial adjustment. Further simple regressions showed that each of
these variables explained a significant amount of the variance in psychosocial
adjustment, with marital support being the stronger predictor. Taken together, these
results indicate that those women who experienced greater marital support, and those
who employed a higher percentage of approach coping strategies, had better psychosocial
adjustment to their breast cancer. Results from Pearson correlations showed that
approach coping and marital support are highly correlated with each other, indicating
that those women who experienced greater marital support were more likely to have
employed approach coping strategies. Additional simple regressions showed that a linear
combination of cohesion, expressivity, and conflict explained a significant portion of the
variance in psychosocial adjustment Furthermore, each of these variables alone were
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
significant predictors of psychosocial adjustment, with cohesion being the strongest
predictor. These results indicate that those women who perceived their spouses as
helpful, and had marriages characterized by open, honest communication without angry
verbal interaction, had better psychosocial adjustment to their breast cancer. Future
researchers should identify factors known to promote adjustment, thus providing an
empirical basis for intervention. Psychosocial interventions can then be tailored to focus
on these specific variables to more effectively meet the needs of cancer patients.
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DISSERTATION
OF
JACQUELINE K. SCHONHOLTZ
APPROVED:
CAROLE A. BEERE
VICE PRESIDENT FOR ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
WALDEN UNIVERSITY
2000
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.
Walden University
PSYCHOLOGY
This is to certify that I have examined the doctoral dissertation by
Jacqueline K. Schonholtz
and have found that it is complete and satisfactory in all respects,
and that any and all revisions required by
the review committee have been made.
Dr. Stephen Lifrak, Committee Chair
Professional Psychology Faculty
Cb/Lj^
____
0
Signature
ri, £7/
rh*~ 2.000
Date
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission.