Effects of coping style on psychological reactions of low-income, minority women to colposcopy.

Patterns of coping and adjustment in 36 low-income, minority women with positive cytologic smears were assessed prior to diagnostic follow-up examination (colposcopy). Subjects were divided into high monitors (who attend to threatening cues) and low monitors (who avoid threatening cues) on the basis of their scores on the Miller Behavioral Style Scale, a well-validated measure of coping style. Multivariate analysis of variance showed that high monitors worried more about the seriousness of their condition, expressed more concern about the immediate sensory and procedural aspects of the diagnostic examination and felt more responsible for the onset and course of their disease as compared to low monitors. However, they were no more likely to be concerned about the overall importance or long-term consequences of their abnormal smears. Finally, high monitors displayed greater symptoms of intrusive and avoidant ideation in relation to their medical status. These results were independent of sociodemographic and medical confounding variables. Consistent with results in other populations, the findings suggest that it may be useful to assess attentional coping dispositions in minority populations with high-risk gynecologic conditions and to target psychosocial interventions accordingly.