The impact of mental adjustment to cancer to the quality of life

The aim of the study was to assess the impact of mental adjustment to cancer on health-conditioned quality of life in cancer patients.

Material and methods: We studied 100 patients Cancer Center in Warsaw. Attitudes and coping strategies used to adapt to illness were measured using Mini-MAC. The quality of life in functional dimensions and the level of overall quality of life contingent upon the state of health was measured using the Quality of Life Questionnaire – QLQ-C30.

Results: The results of the assessment of the relationship between coping strategies used to adapt to cancer illness and quality of life conditioned by the state of health, indicate that: 1) the higher intensity a of fighting spirit, a positive re-evaluation and constructive coping strategies patients exhibit, the better they function in physical, emotional, cognitive, and social relations areas and, higher their overall quality of life is; 2) the higher intensity a of fear, anxiety, helplessness-hopelessness and destructive coping strategies patients exhibit, the worse they function in physical, emotional, cognitive, and social relations areas and lower their overall quality of life is.

Conclusions: The study confirms the key thesis of this paper that assumes the impact of mental adaptation to the disease on health-conditioned quality of life.