Variables influencing psychosocial adjustment in lung cancer: a preliminary study.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To explore the relationships of daily hassles, demands of illness, and social support to the psychosocial adjustment of people with newly diagnosed, primary lung cancer.

DESIGN

Descriptive correlational.

SETTING

A regional oncology center located in a large teaching hospital.

SAMPLE

56 patients (62% male, 84% white, mean of 60 years old).

METHODS

After being contacted by phone and assigned a functional status score, subjects completed and mailed four study tools: Hassles Scale, Demands of Illness Inventory, Personal Resource Questionnaire, and Patient Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self Report.

MAIN RESEARCH VARIABLES

Daily hassles, demands of illness, social support, and psychosocial adjustment.

FINDINGS

Demands of illness were predictive of psychosocial adjustment in the expected direction (i.e., higher scores were associated with decreased adjustment). Race also was a predictor. In general, participants reported relatively high social support, low hassles, moderately low demands of illness, and positive adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Demands of illness were predictive of psychosocial adjustment in patients newly diagnosed with advanced lung cancer.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

Demands of illness should be monitored at the time of diagnosis and periodically throughout the course of the disease. Interventions directed at specific types of demands can facilitate patient adjustment.