Department of Family Medicine, Karabuk University, Karabuk, Turkey.
Department of Medical Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Karabuk University, Karabuk, Turkey.
J Cancer Res Ther. 2021 Jul-Sep;17(4):956-962. doi: 10.4103/jcrt.JCRT_618_19.
Self-esteem refers to a person's positive and negative attitudes towards the self, and metacognition is an upper system providing awareness and direction of events and mental functions. Coping refers to the specific and psychological efforts used to deal with stressful events or the negative effects of the agents of these. The aim of this study was to evaluate self-esteem, metacognition status and coping attitudes in patients with cancer, which is known to have severely destructive psychological effects.
Fifty adult cancer patients who were followed up in the medical oncology clinic between July 2018 and June 2019 and 50 age- and gender-matched healthy controls as control group were included in this study. All the participants were applied with a sociodemographic data form, the Rosenberg self-esteem scale, the Metacognition Assessment Scale, and the Copying Orientation to Problems Experienced (COPE) inventory, and their results were compared between the groups.
The groups comprised 50% females with a median age of 58 (33-82) years. The values related to the degree of participation in discussions, problem-focused coping, active coping, planning, and state of emotional vulnerability were low in the cancer patient group compared to the control group (P < 0.005 for all). The sustaining of their self-image, feeling threatened in interpersonal relationships, and degree of daydreaming were higher, and in the metacognition tests, the positive beliefs related to anxiety, uncontrolled or dangerous negative thoughts, nonfunctional coping, religious coping, joking, reckless behavior, substance use, denial, and mental disengagement scores were higher (P < 0.05 for all).
Self-esteem was lower in cancer patients and upper level cognitive functions and problem-focused coping were determined to be worse compared to healthy controls. In the light of these results, psychosocial support given to cancer patients in this respect could contribute to quality of life and social conformity.
自尊是指一个人对自己的积极和消极态度，元认知是一个提供对事件和心理功能的意识和指导的上层系统。应对是指用于应对压力事件或这些事件的作用者的负面影响的具体和心理努力。本研究的目的是评估癌症患者的自尊、元认知状态和应对态度，众所周知，癌症对心理有严重的破坏性影响。
本研究纳入了 2018 年 7 月至 2019 年 6 月期间在医学肿瘤门诊就诊的 50 名成年癌症患者（病例组）和 50 名年龄和性别匹配的健康对照者（对照组）。所有参与者均接受了社会人口统计学数据表格、罗森伯格自尊量表、元认知评估量表和应对方式问卷（COPE）的评估，并对两组的结果进行了比较。
两组各有 50%的女性，中位年龄为 58 岁（33-82 岁）。与对照组相比，癌症患者组在参与讨论的程度、问题聚焦应对、积极应对、计划和情绪脆弱状态方面的评分较低（所有 P<0.005）。他们维护自我形象、在人际关系中感到受到威胁、以及做白日梦的程度较高，在元认知测试中，与焦虑相关的积极信念、不受控制或危险的消极想法、非功能应对、宗教应对、开玩笑、鲁莽行为、物质使用、否认和心理逃避得分较高（所有 P<0.05）。
癌症患者的自尊水平较低，与健康对照组相比，高级认知功能和问题聚焦应对能力较差。鉴于这些结果，在这方面为癌症患者提供的社会心理支持可能有助于提高生活质量和社会适应性。
