Abstract
Self-efficacy for coping with cancer is a specific construct that refers to behaviors that occur in the course of dealing with a cancer diagnosis, cancer treatments, and transitioning to survivorship. One of the more widely used measures of self-efficacy for coping strategies with cancer is the Cancer Behavior Inventory. The following general questions provide a framework for this research: 1. Is self-efficacy for coping with cancer related to distress and quality of life of a cancer patient?. 2. Do self-efficacy for coping with cancer and the target psychological outcomes (i.e., distress and quality of life) change in longitudinal studies, with or without intervention? One-hundred eighty studies cited the different versions of the Cancer Behavior Inventory and 47 used the scale. Result showed an inverse relationship between self-efficacy for coping with cancer and distress, and a positive relationship between self-efficacy for coping with cancer and Quality of Life, both with a large effect size. The strong relationship of self-efficacy and outcomes, resulted of the specificity of the instrument, which targets specific coping strategies that are closely aligned with positive outcomes in adjusting to cancer. However, the results are consistent with the theory, which states that compared to those with low efficacy, highly efficacious people demonstrate less anxiety and better adjustment in stressful situations and consistent with prior results in which self-efficacy is positively related to quality of life.
Highlights
The diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of cancer can present individuals with a multitude of stressors at various points in that trajectory
The studies in the sample of the 47 were categorized as follows: 1. Studies showing a correlation between self-efficacy for coping with cancer and quality of life (QoL) or psychological distress, (N=34), and 2. longitudinal studies - both observation and intervention studies (N=13)
The meta-analysis showed that the relationship between self-efficacy for coping and important outcomes, distress and QoL, were consistent with theory [44]
Summary
The diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management of cancer can present individuals with a multitude of stressors at various points in that trajectory. The prevalence of psychological distress among cancer patients is higher than the general population, which increases the risk for developing clinical levels of anxiety and depression [1, 2]. Psychosocial distress may appear early in the diagnostic process and have negative effects on compliance with treatment and subsequent quality of life [4]. Because not all patients experience distress, there may be factors that prevent distress or help dissipate distress after its onset. Establishing an evidence base of factors that prevent or mitigate distress is critical to establishing interventions that might help those at risk based on protective factors such as coping skills and strategies
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