Psychosocial Stress and Cancer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Psychosocial Stress and Cancer - Essay Example It has been stated that these may be manifestations of motivational disturbances due to advanced illness or longstanding suffering. It has also been suggested that physical changes associated with advanced and life-threatening illness associated with considerable suffering such as occurs in any patient with cancer may strongly influence the psychological adjustment of the patient in both positive and negative ways. This is an important factor in management of patients with cancer since the patient's perspective of cancer as a terminal illness strongly influences the care process. This also means that these responses indicate the psychological determinants of patient responses. Many cancer patients suffer from hopelessness, and this is regarded by the care professionals as conducive to illness, death, and suffering and the opposite psychological reaction may lead to a favourable outcome (Kunkel et al., 2000). Although investigated in other cancers, the role of psychological and social factors in cancer and in those who survive cancer has been well delineated. In some cancers psychological factors have been shown to be predictive of survival time. ... Those patients who are coping actively have best outcomes. It is thus evident that if these psychological factors have influence on survival, then development of psychological interventions directed to enhance the use of positive coping styles leading to prolonged survival. Petticrew et al. (2002) in their literature review indicated several themes of psychological reactions in response to cancer. Knowledge regarding these would foster professional interventions in cancer patients leading to better outcome (Petticrew et al. 2002). A very prominent and significant psychological response is fighting spirit. Many studies have investigated the impact of fighting spirit on survival from established cancer. Fighting spirit is a coping style, and this has been reported to be associated with reduced risk. The next most common psychological manifestation is helpless and hopelessness. This is known to be a predictor of reduced survival and compromised quality of life. Some patients demonstrate denial or avoidance. There is no significant association between an avoidant coping and survival. In some cancers, denial may predict recurrence of disease. Some patients with cancer demonstrate stoic acceptance and fatalism (White and Verhoef, 2003). Some patients become anxious with cancer and may develop anxious preoccupation. Some patients may even be depressed. Those who are very anxious or have high anxious preoccupation demonstrate shorter survival. Those who employ a depressive coping style also have a shorter survival. Th ose who have active or problem focused coping demonstrated a longer survival. Suffering from cancer and going through the treatment have high impact on the patients'