Role of Positive Approaches towards Illness in Coping with a Terminal Illness Such as Cancer and AIDS

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to (a) examine the relationships between positive approaches (positive outlook, optimism, health esteem & external health locus of control) and coping with the emotional and behavioural consequences of disease in cancer and AIDS patients, (b) to find out the best predictors among positive approaches that reduced the impact of emotional and behavioural consequences of associated with one's disease.(c) Moderating role of satisfaction in positive approaches (positive outlook, optimism, health esteem & external health locus of control) and coping with the emotional and behavioural consequences of disease. The sample consisted of 100 people suffering from terminal illness such as Cancer and AIDS. Both male and female from rural and urban settings were taken for this study within the age range of 20 to 80 years with mean score 35.73 years. The education level of the patients within the range of illiterate to post graduate. Two type of the scale were used in this study. First scale comprises of emotional focused coping and problem focused coping. Further, emotional focused coping scale was the combination of two sub scale i.e. positive outlook and health esteem. While, problem focused coping was the combination of two sub scale i.e. optimism and health locus of control. Second scale for assess the emotional (negative feelings) and behavioural (hopelessness) consequences associated with one's disease. All these scales were based on Likert 5-point rating scale and have a high reliability coefficient. The results of the study revealed that there is a negative correlation between emotional focused coping with emotional and behavioural consequences associated with terminal illness. There is no significant difference was found between problem focused coping with emotional consequences (negative feelings) but a significant negative relationships with behavioural consequences (hopelessness). Another important findings of this study is that emotional focused coping approach has been found the best predictor for minimizing the effect of negative feelings and a sense of hopelessness among patients. On the other hand, health esteem as a dimension of emotional focused coping and optimism as problem focused coping strategies were emerged as the best predictors of the negative feelings while, health esteem become the best predictor in case of minimizing the feelings of hopelessness in patients.