Quality of life and coping in patients with gynecologic cancer and their spouses.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To examine differences in and relationships between quality of life (QOL) and coping of patients with gynecologic (GYN) cancer and their spouses.

SETTING

An oncology ambulatory care center in the midwestern United States.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional.

SAMPLE

40 patients with GYN cancer and their spouses.

METHODS

Patients and spouses completed the Quality of Life-Cancer Version scale and the Coping Scale.

FINDINGS

Patients with GYN cancer and their spouses recorded similar responses. They were fairly satisfied with their QOL especially regarding family. Similarities and differences existed in the use of coping strategies between the two groups. Patients were more inclined to do something about their situation, whereas spouses tended to hope that problems would go away. For spouses, finding positive aspects of the illness experience correlated with three QOL indicators; correlations also were found between health/functioning and three coping strategies.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, no significant differences were found between patients with GYN cancer and their spouses in overall QOL or QOL domains. Family was the highest QOL domain for both groups. Patients reported significantly more use of cognitive restructuring and threat minimization than spouses. For both groups, especially patients, different strategies correlated with different QOL areas.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Nurses working in GYN oncology ambulatory care centers are in a key position to assess areas of QOL with which patients and spouses are most and least satisfied and the types of coping strategies they are using. Differences in coping strategies used suggest that patients and spouses might benefit by being assessed separately.