Meaning-focused Coping Research Articles

Playing Through Tough Times: Exploring the Relationship between Game Aspects and Coping Strategies during Difficult Life Challenges

The potential benefits of playing video games during times of difficulty have been increasingly recognised by researchers yet little is known about how particular aspects of games may relate to different forms of coping. An exploratory survey of 130 participants and content analysis identified 31 game aspects, across 6 categories, that were beneficial or detrimental to players. Our findings illustrate that games can support a range of coping strategies, including emotion-focused, avoidance, and meaning-focused coping. We also identify how specific aspects of games relate to different coping strategies during times of personal difficulty. For instance, emotion-focused coping was most commonly linked to challenge game aspects, where overcoming difficulties allowed players to experience positive emotions such as competence. The findings of this study provide valuable insights into how games may be able to facilitate a range of coping strategies during tough times.

Daily Challenges and Resources of Adults with Chronic Dysphagia: A Qualitative Investigation.

Identifying and addressing daily challenges and resources associated with chronic oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) is a pivotal, though still neglected component of person-centred care, yet overlooked in research studies. To investigate these dimensions, 25 Italian adults with chronic OD due to cancer or neurodegenerative diseases participated in semi-structured interviews, designed following a modified framework analysis approach. Two researchers independently transcribed and coded interviews, elaborated a working analytical framework, indexed and charted the data, solving discrepancies through negotiated agreement and discussion with a third researcher. Proportion agreement on extracted quotations was calculated. Overall, 457 quotations were extracted from the interviews (88% agreement). Daily challenges pertained to physical, practical, and social domains; most participants reported OD-related problems; almost half mentioned care needs and obstacles in using healthcare services. Concerning resources in OD management, most participants referred to problem-focused and meaning-focused coping strategies, personal capabilities, and support from family and healthcare services. Finally, almost half of the participants reported OD-related changes in life view and meaning. Findings suggest that adjusting to OD implies challenges and resource mobilization in different life domains. Future studies should longitudinally elucidate the dynamics of positive adjustment, to promote patient-centred OD care based on individually perceived needs and challenges, and to inform healthcare policies.

Coping With Side Effects: A Daily Diary Study in Women With Breast Cancer Living With Adjuvant Endocrine Therapy.

Adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) is increasingly being prescribed for up to 10years to people diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. AET intake is often accompanied by side effects that significantly impact the well-being of people. The way individuals cope with medication-related side effects might play a pivotal role in their emotional adaption. This intensive-longitudinal study investigated the association between self-reported coping strategies (Brief COPE) and psychological well-being (Patient Health Questionnaire-4) among women undergoing AET. A multilevel factor analysis resulted in the identification of four coping factors, namely, problem-focused, support-focused, meaning-focused, and avoidance-focused coping. Daily coping efforts and experienced side effects were analyzed as predictors of psychological well-being using multilevel modeling. A total of 215 women (Mage=56.5±10.9years) participated, resulting in a total of n=2080 daily surveys (M=9.67±1.08). On average, women reported 3.7±2.2 different side effects per day. Days characterized by an elevated frequency of side effects and increased burden were associated with diminished well-being. Using more problem- and meaning-focused strategies than usual to cope with side effects correlated positively with well-being. Conversely, employing more support- and avoidance-focused coping strategies than usual was linked to reduced psychological well-being. Exploratory analyses focusing on individual coping strategies provided nuanced insights into coping behaviors. The present findings underscore the relationship between women's coping efforts concerning medication-related side effects during AET and their daily well-being. Psychosocial education (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy) may offer valuable benefits for patients by helping them develop adaptive coping strategies to manage side effects.

Risk Coping Strategies among Chinese Breast Cancer Survivors: A Qualitative Study

Breast cancer (BC) is intricately linked with emotions, underscoring the importance of BC survivors adopting effective coping strategies. This study utilized qualitative research methods and semi-structured interviews to explore the evolving coping strategies of 15 Chinese BC survivors throughout their recovery journey. Through the process of coding and organizing the interview data, it was found that individuals frequently shifted from employing negative coping strategies to employing active coping strategies when faced with risk. The transformation approaches include from ineffective emotional venting to positive reappraisal; from focused on thought/rumination to avoidance; from putting into perspective to positive focusing; from other blame to positive refocusing; identifying and cleaning up irrational emotions; self-awareness growth. Furthermore, three coping strategies emerged: emotion-focused coping; problem-focused coping; and meaning-focused coping. Each coping strategy offers unique strengths and appropriate situations. The findings underscore the importance of fostering a positive outlook on risks among BC survivors and continuously enhancing their coping skills to navigate the challenges they encounter.

Understanding coping with the climate crisis: an experimental study with young people on agency and mental health

ABSTRACT Background While the impact of climate change on mental health, especially in young people, has been acknowledged, underlying mechanisms of this relation remain elusive. Based on research on active coping, we explored effects of agency on anxiety and coping in an experimental design. We further examined the relation between mental health (i.e., psychopathology, depressiveness, trait anxiety), trait factors (i.e., climate distress, intolerance of uncertainty, trait coping), state anxiety and coping with climate distress. Methods 244 participants (15-25 years) watched a climate anxiety inducing video, followed by an agency manipulation (high agency vs. low agency vs. control). Trait mental health, intolerance of uncertainty, and climate distress and coping were examined as predictors of state anxiety and coping. Results State anxiety decreased in the high agency and control conditions, but not in the low agency condition. High agency led to increased meaning-focused coping and low agency to decreased meaning– and problem-focused coping. Trait mental health, problem-focused, and meaning-focused coping strategies each predicted their respective state counterparts. Emotion-focused coping was further predicted by all trait measures. Conclusion The findings suggest a risk of low agency communication due to the lack of arousal decrease and lack of using functional coping in young people.

Anxiety, post-traumatic symptoms, media-induced secondary trauma, post-traumatic growth, and resilience among mental health workers during the Israel-Hamas war.

The ongoing Israel-Hamas war is posing additional challenges for mental health workers in an already stressful workplace. This study centres on the psychological effects of the shared traumatic reality on mental health workers, arising from the Israel-Hamas war. One month after exposure to the terrorist attack of 7 October 2023 and the outbreak of war following this event, 147 mental health workers completed questionnaires regarding a variety of variables such as demographics, anxiety symptoms, acute stress symptoms, media-induced secondary trauma, personal resilience, National resilience (NR), and post-traumatic growth (PTG). The study found that mental health workers with previous trauma displayed higher anxiety symptoms, acute stress symptoms, and media-induced secondary trauma. Additionally, acute stress and anxiety were positively correlated with media-induced secondary trauma. Religiosity, personal resilience, and NR were found associated with lower anxiety and acute stress symptoms. Religiosity was also positively correlated with personal resilience, NR, and PTG. The PTG of mental health workers working with trauma survivors and evacuees was higher compared to that of other mental health workers. Both adverse and adaptive reactions were evident among mental health workers. While traumatic stress is expected, individual, professional, and NR factors may mitigate its effects. Providing training, social support, regulated media exposure, stress management, and meaning-focused coping strategies can help safeguard workers' well-being.

Patterns of climate-change coping among late adolescents: Differences in emotions concerning the future, moral responsibility, and climate-change engagement

Young people both are and will be greatly affected by climate change, an insight which can trigger a range of stressful emotions concerning the future. How young people cope with climate change as a stressor can be of importance for both moral responsibility and climate-change engagement. People often use a combination of coping strategies; however, the focus thus far has merely been on isolated coping strategies. Using a person-centered approach, the aim of this study was to examine: (1) patterns of climate-change coping among late adolescents and (2) if late adolescents characterized by unique patterns of coping differ regarding emotions concerning the future (worry, pessimism, optimism), moral responsibility, and climate-change engagement (outcome expectancy and climate-friendly food choices). A questionnaire study was conducted with 474 Swedish senior high-school students (16–22 years old, mean age: 17.91). A cluster analysis revealed three unique patterns of coping: The solution-oriented group (43%, high on problem- and meaning-focused coping), the avoidant group (33%, high on de-emphasizing and meaning-focused coping), and the uninvolved group (24%, low on all coping strategies). The solution-oriented group differed from the other two groups in reporting more climate-change worry, moral responsibility, outcome expectancy, and climate-friendly food choices. The uninvolved group reported more climate-change worry, moral responsibility, and climate-friendly food choices than the avoidant group, and the least optimism. The avoidant group was the least pessimistic. Our results reveal the importance of exploring patterns of climate-change coping to understand young people’s engagement concerning this global threat.

Effect of lay theory of climate change on coping strategies: Stability and variability of information-induced results

Individuals' explanations for the cause of global climate change are based on their life experiences and acquired climate knowledge, namely the lay theories of climate change by this study. This explanation could related with their coping on climate change, but previous research has paid less attention to this issue. Study 1 conducted two national surveys (1a: n = 978, 1b: n = 933) to explore Chinese people’s lay theories of climate change and their relationship to coping strategies. In Study 2, three sub-studies were conducted to investigate the variability of lay theories of climate change and its impact on coping strategies, respectively, using the priming experiment (2a: n = 150) and the daily experience method (2b: n = 76, 2c: n = 138). The results suggest that lay theories of climate change can be divided into natural cycle theory and human-made acceleration theory. Human-made acceleration theory positively predicts problem- and meaning-focused coping strategies, and negatively predicts emotion-focused coping strategies. Participants' lay theories of climate change, while stable, are subject to change, which in turn affects their coping strategies. It is harder to get participants to switch to natural cycle theory than to human-made acceleration theory. This study puts forward the viewpoint of lay theories of climate change, which enriches the research on coping strategies of climate change.

Meaning-focused coping as a cultural process: A mixed quantitative and PhotoVoice study of adolescents with Arab backgrounds overcoming stigma and harassment

Poor mental health among U.S. adolescents has reach epidemic proportions, with those from the Middle East and North African region exhibiting increased risk for distress and suicide ideation. This mixed-methods study analyzes quantitative data from first- and second-generation Arab adolescents (n = 171) and qualitative data from a participatory study conducted with 11 adolescents of the same population to understand the role of cultural resources in coping. Drawing on the Intersectional Theory of Cultural Repertoires in Health, we show that: 1) cultural resources underlie meaning-making throughout coping; 2) coping strategies are inseparable from the influence of peer and familial relationships, as dictated through the social norms and other cultural resources; 3) collectively held repertoires of coping can promote belonging, affirm identity, and protect against discrimination; and 4) the outcomes of coping strategies, and the culturally informed meaning individuals make of these outcomes, influence their future coping behaviors.

Resilience and self-efficacy as supportive resources in accepting a spouse’s cancer

Associations between resilience, self-efficacy, and coping strategies play an important role in the process of accepting the disease in cancer patients by their spouses. This study aims to examine whether coping strategies act as parallel mediators between resilience, self-efficacy, and the acceptance of the partner's illness by the spouse. Two hundred and thirty-two people were examined: 106 women (M = 55.36, SD = 14.13) and 126 men (M = 62.15, SD = 11.55). Their ages ranged from 24 to 85 years (M = 59.06, SD = 13.20). Questionnaires measuring resilience, self-efficacy, coping, and illness acceptance were utilized. Correlational and mediational analyses were employed to examine the mediation effects. The findings demonstrated that resilience and self-efficacy were positively correlated with both the overall score of illness acceptance and its three dimensions (satisfaction with life, reconciliation with the disease, and self-distancing from the disease) in spouses of cancer patients. Furthermore, coping strategies were positively associated with illness acceptance. The main result revealed that problem-focused coping and meaning-focused coping served as parallel mediators in the relationship between resilience and self-efficacy with illness acceptance. This suggests that the way in which spouses cope with the stress caused by their partners' cancer determines the utilization of supportive resources in accepting the partner's illness.

Coping with the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change: A Green Script for Sustainable Action

The climate emergency is an existential threat to human health and environmental sustainability. Recent climate-induced events, such as Australia’s catastrophic bushfires of 2019–2020 and floods of 2022, demonstrate the impacts of the climate crisis on physical and mental health of populations. Using a cross-sectional online survey (N = 5483), we examine how Australians are coping with climate change impacts on mental health. The survey included qualitative questions (open-ended comment boxes and ‘other’ spaces throughout the survey) and quantitative questions (e.g., Likert and bipolar scales) on demographics and the mental health impacts of climate change, environmental behaviour engagement (EBE), and mental health help-seeking (MHHS). Australians are using a range of individual and collective coping strategies to help cope with climate change problems, experiences, and anxiety. They have developed a range of coping strategies including contact with nature, taking sustainability actions, practicing problem-focused and meaning-focused coping, and mental health help-seeking, that need to be understood and reinforced by health professionals. Our findings also highlight a link between direct experience of a climate change event and participants’ EBE and MHHS. We recommend assessment processes and green prescribing as a sustainability action intervention framework that health professionals can offer as a response to ongoing community concern about climate change.

Coping with a global crisis-Changes in worries about the Russo-Ukrainian War.

Global crises, such as the Russo-Ukrainian War, can lead to worrying, which in turn can result in health problems when not positively coped with. This study investigates how the worries of Germans are related to general coping strategies. Three consecutive online surveys were distributed from the beginning of March until the beginning of May 2022. The surveys assessed participants' worries about the Russo-Ukrainian War and their use of four coping domains for the two preceding weeks. A total of 175 (54.3% female; Mage= 33.3, SD= 13.6, 18-66 years) participants completed all three questionnaires. Worries and coping (meaning-focused, problem-focused, social, and avoidance coping) declined over time. Cross-sectionally all coping domains, except meaning-focused coping, correlated positively with initial worries, indicating a higher use of coping strategies when worries were present. In line with this, the use of both social and avoidance coping declined over the course of the study when worries were reduced. Furthermore, a higher initial use of avoidance coping was associated with a stronger decline in worries. Worries and coping strategies both declined following the Russian invasion of Ukraine which suggests that worries and coping strategies adapt to one another over time.

Climate-change worry among two cohorts of late adolescents: Exploring macro and micro worries, coping, and relations to climate engagement, pessimism, and well-being

Few studies have explored climate change worry in an in-depth manner among adolescents. Through survey studies with two cohorts of adolescents (2010, 2019/2020) we investigated relations between different forms of climate change worry, mental well-being, and pro-environmental behavior and what role coping plays in these relationships. Results show that climate change worry was negatively associated with subjective well-being, and positively associated with climate pessimism and pro-environmental behavior. Relations were strongest between macro worry and pro-environmental behavior, and between micro worry and mental well-being. Problem-focused coping was a mediator between worry and pro-environmental behavior and between meaning-focused coping and behavior, while distancing decreased the positive relation between worry and problem-focused coping. Meaning-focused coping and optimism worked as buffers between macro and micro worry and pessimism in some, but not all, cases. Most relationships remained significant when controlling for other variables in path-models. Finally, worry was more prevalent in the 2019/2020 cohort. Our findings highlight the need to consider different forms of worry and coping in studies about climate change worry.

Coping with Transgressions by the Romantic Partner: An Inventory Validation and its Correlation with Forgiveness

Almost every person has to deal with transgressions committed by a romantic partner and faces their negative psychological outcomes, and coping strategies might be key to understanding post-transgression dynamics and forgiveness. We tested the construct validity of the Inventory of Strategies for Coping with a Partner's Transgression which include the emotion (E-FCS), problem (P-FCS), and meaning-focused coping strategies (M-FCS) scales. Results replicated the factor structure of each of the three scales through confirmatory factor analysis techniques, tested its reliability with the McDonald’s omega coefficient, and then correlated the scales with forgiveness and resentment, strengthening its construct validity. In general, the validity and reliability of scales were confirmed. Emotion-focused strategies showed a negative correlation with forgiveness, while problem and meaning-focused strategies had a positive correlation. These findings were discussed in the context of theory and their practical implications.

Support- and meaning-focused coping as key factors for maintaining adult quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, questions about both consequences and helpful strategies to maintain quality of life (QoL) have become increasingly important. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of coping factors during the COVID-19 pandemic, their associations with QoL and the moderating role of certain sociodemographic characteristics. Analyses were based on cross-sectional self-reports from German adult participants (N = 2,137, 18-84 years, 52.1% female) of the CORONA HEALTH APP Study from July 2020 to July 2021. Multivariate regression analyses were used to predict (a) coping factors assessed with the Brief COPE and (b) QoL assessed with the WHOQOL-BREF while taking measurement time, central sociodemographic, and health characteristics into account. During the COVID-19 pandemic, German adults mostly pursued problem- and meaning-focused coping factors and showed a relatively good QoL [Mean values (M) from 57.2 to 73.6, standard deviations (SD) = 16.3-22.6], except for the social domain (M = 57.2, SD = 22.6), and with a decreasing trend over time (β from -0.06 to -0.11, ps < 0.01). Whereas, escape-avoidance coping was negatively related to all QoL domains (β = -0.35, p < 0.001 for psychological, β = -0.22, p < 0.001 for physical, β = -0.13, p = 0.045 for social, β = -0.49, p < 0.001 for environmental QoL), support- and meaning-focused coping showed positive associations with various QoL domains (β from 0.19 to 0.45, ps < 0.01). The results also suggested differences in the pursuit of coping factors as well as in the strength of associations with QoL by sociodemographic characteristics. Escape-avoidance-focused coping was negatively associated with QoL levels in older and less educated adults (simple slopes differed at ps < 0.001), in particular. The results demonstrated what types of coping may be helpful to avoid QoL deterioration (i.e., support- and meaning-focused coping) and provide implications for future universal or targeted health promotion (i.e., older or less educated adults who lack social or instrumental support) and preparedness in the face of unknown challenging societal situations similar to that of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional trends of enhanced use of escape-avoidance-focused coping and QoL deterioration point toward a need for increased attention from public health and policy.

Perinatal meaning-making and meaning-focused coping in the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic caused unprecedented levels of stress amongst pregnant women and new mothers. The current qualitative study explored the ways in which perinatal women made meaning of their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Data came from a parent study in which 54 perinatal (pregnant and postpartum) women in the United States completed semi-structured interviews from October 2021 to January 2022 describing their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data was interpreted using a hermeneutic, phenomenological approach to delve deeply into the concept of meaning-making. Results Despite high levels of stress and challenging circumstances, participants reported engaging in meaning-making through finding connection, focusing on gratitude, and identifying openings for change. Unique forms of meaning-making amongst this population include a sense of connection to women throughout history, connection to their baby, and recognition of the need for systemic change for perinatal women. Conclusions Perinatal women coped with the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic by making meaning from their experiences. Future research should further explore the importance of these aspects of meaning-making to perinatal women and implement these findings to adapt prevention and treatment approaches to address perinatal stress, especially during times of crisis.

Mediating Effect of Challenges on Demographics and Coping Strategies of Indian Healthcare Workers during COVID-19.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) including doctors, nurses and allied workers struggled to cope up with the stressful situation as the COVID-19 pandemic unsettled healthcare systems, including India's. Many factors (commonly called as stressors) acted as major sources of stress and resulted in poor mental health of HCWs. Therefore, this study predicted and explained the mediating effect of challenges on demographic characteristics and coping strategies of HCWs. Data from a cross-sectional study was collected from the district hospital of Rajasthan, India, during the period of August 2022-October 2022. HCW's experience level, shift type and distance of greenspaces from their accommodation were significantly correlated with the challenges they faced at work, specifically societal challenges. Thus, HCWs were more inclined to adopt a meaning-focused coping strategy to retain good mental health during the pandemic. Therefore, these findings call for interventions requiring a layered response, comprising strategies and actions that are structural. At the organizational level, these actions may provide supportive workplace environments.

Threat Appraisal, Resilience, and Health Behaviors in Recovered COVID-19 Patients: The Serial Mediation of Coping and Meaning-Making.

Research indicates that both cognitive appraisal and personal resources can noticeably influence health behaviors, as individuals modify their health convictions and practices on the basis of threat appraisal, personality, and meaning. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether coping strategies and meaning-making can serially mediate the relationship of threat appraisal and resilience with health behaviors in recovered COVID-19 patients. Self-report measures of threat appraisal, resilience, coping, meaning-making, and health behaviors were completed by 266 participants (aged 17 to 78, 51.5% female) who had recovered from COVID-19. The serial mediation analysis showed that the relationship of threat appraisal and resilience with health behaviors was mediated by problem-focused coping, meaning-focused coping, and meaning-making, but not by emotion-focused coping. These results suggest that associations among threat perception, resilience, and health behavior depend to some extent on the interplay of coping and meaning-making, which reveals their unique role in the process of recovery from COVID-19, with potential implications for health interventions.

MEANING FOCUSED COPING: IMPLICATIONS FOR FAMILY CAREGIVER BURDEN AND POSITIVE ASPECTS OF CARE

Abstract The Stress Process Model (Pearlin et al., 1991) posits that different styles of coping influence both positive and negative psychological outcomes in family caregivers. Meaning-focused coping is hypothesized to promote positive psychological experiences, but presently it is unclear how meaning-focused coping is related to caregiver burden. The present study tested the associations among meaning-focused coping, indicators of burden, and positive aspects of care in adult child and spousal caregivers of older adults with dementia. An online sample of caregivers ranging in age from 30-68 (n = 219) completed a measure of meaning-focused coping (COPE-PRG; Carver et al., 1989) and the Caregiver Reaction Scale (CRS; O’Malley &amp; Qualls, 2016) which assessed overload, role captivity, personal growth, and competence. Regression analyses indicated that meaning-focused coping predicted less role captivity and predicted greater personal growth and competence. However, meaning-focused coping did not account for significant variance in perceived overload. The findings extend prior research by demonstrating that meaning-focused coping strategies may faciliate positive aspects of care during chronically stressful experiences such as caregiving. Findings highlight that meaning-focused strategies may be more helpful for coping with role captivity (e.g., feeling unable to participate in work or family roles outside of caregiving) and less helpful for coping with subjective overload (e.g., a sense of overwhelm) in caregivers. Results inform clinical interventions that promote meaning and reduce burden in caregivers.

In Their Own Words: A Qualitative Study of Coping Mechanisms Employed By Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Introduction: Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) is a heterogeneous disease affecting over 20,000 adults in the U.S. each year. People diagnosed with AML experience a period of shock compounded by the need to make quick treatment decisions. Coping not only with the direct symptoms of disease and treatment (e.g., fatigue, nausea, pain), but also lifestyle changes (e.g., inability to live independently, inability to conduct usual activities) is integral to the patient experience. Coping has also been shown to mediate the impact of integrated palliative care on improving outcomes. While several studies analyze coping mechanisms in AML using predetermined scales, less is known about how patients themselves describe their coping strategies when asked open-ended questions about their experience. We aimed to explore patients' coping methods, through their own words, using qualitative methods. Methods: We enrolled patients with high-risk AML admitted to Duke Hospital's inpatient hematologic malignancy service for high dose chemotherapy treatment. This study is a secondary analysis of previously collected longitudinal qualitative data, with patient interviews conducted between February 2014 and March 2015 (up to three semi-structured interviews per patient). Interviews were coded in NVivo using open and axial coding to identify coping mechanisms. Coping mechanisms were divided into two broader categories: approach-oriented coping (acceptance, positive reframing, meaning-focused coping, relying on faith, active coping, and social coping) and avoidant coping (behavioral disengagement, self-blame, and denial). Results: Of the 32 patients in the study, the mean age was 61.8 years. Similar proportions of patients in the study had normal karyotype (53.1%, n=17) and complex karyotype (46.9%, n=15) and most patients were newly diagnosed (68.8%, n=22). One approach-oriented coping strategy employed by patients was acceptance-accepting one's prognosis, consequent lifestyle changes, and new normal: "[I will] be monitored, y'know continuously for the rest of my life. I accept that." Others accepted the uncertainty of AML: "You don't know what to expect. You just go with the flow. There is no expectation with cancer." Many patients used positive reframing by keeping perspective, either by hypothesizing about how it could be worse or comparing their situation to others: "There are millions and millions of people who have so much less than I do, who are in such pain, who don't have roofs over their head." Other patients found greater admiration for activities previously taken for granted: "[AML] made me want to go back and appreciate some of the things that I didn't appreciate. Just a good long walk, working in the garden, being with my friends." Another coping strategy included deriving meaning from their own experience, either by focusing on lessons learned or feeling that they could help others. Finally, social coping fell into two categories: patients feeling support from their medical team and from their community. Notably, some also felt guilt for being a "burden" on family members who drive them to medical appointments and take care of them. Avoidant coping mechanisms were present in the form of behavioral disengagement-pulling away from loved ones or feeling "numb," as well as self-blame when treatment did not work. However, the most common avoidant coping mechanism patients discussed was denial, either in the form of emotional suppression or manipulation of the truth, as is the case with a patient who stated, "I call it cured. Doctor said it's in remission, but I don't know. I call it cured." Yet, there were instances in which avoidance of full information appeared to be adaptive, for example if the patient decided to break their treatment into more manageable subsections: "If there's going to be several stages, let's focus on Stage 1 and get through it; there's a mile marker to get to where we are and then we will go on from there." Conclusion: These results demonstrate the diverse applications of coping mechanisms in the wake of an AML diagnosis. Specifically, within broad categories of coping strategies (e.g., positive reframing), important subdivisions exist, and must be understood in order to best support patients. Future research should aim to further elucidate these nuances and how they affect the emotional wellbeing of patients. Figure 1View largeDownload PPTFigure 1View largeDownload PPT Close modal