Stress and Coping Strategies for Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: a Transversal Study

ABSTRACT

Aim: Verify the occurrence of stressful situations and the use of methods to deal/cope with it by women diagnosed with breast cancer. Method: Transversal study, performed with 21 women, based on the instrument called Lipp's Inventory of Stress Symptoms in Adults (ISSL, in Portuguese) and the Scale on Ways to Deal with Problems (EMEP, in Portuguese). Results: The presence of stress was evidenced in 66.7% of the women. The religious practice was the most used coping strategy seen in the sample (52.4%), especially in the group which stress was observed. In the no-stress group, the focused coping technique was to focus on the problem (23.7%). Discussion: While dealing with the disease focusing on the problem, women seemed to not feel stressed. Conclusion: The situations of stress provoked by breast cancer require that the patients adapt and cope with it. As so far, nursing must act to mediate the most adaptive responses to the situation created by the illness.