The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between family coping and the role of the cancer patient in the family, the family member's definition of the stressor event, the pile-up of family stressors and strains, and the severity
of
cancer. Data collection took place between October 13 and November 3, 1993 at the C university hospital. One hundred two family member with cancer patient responded a questionnaire.
Family coping was measured with the Family Crisis Oriented Personal Evaluation Scales(F-COPES), a 28 item 5-point Likert scale, The pile-up of family stressors and strains was measured with the Family Inventory of Life Events(FILE), a 25 item
inventory
of life stressors. Family perception of the event was measured with the Family Member Definition of the Cancer Event Scale, a 14 item measure developed for Reeder's study(1990). A severity of cancer was determined using stage of cancer process
and
cure
duration. The patient's family role was elicited on the demographic questionnaire.
Multiple regression analysis, t-test, two-way ANOVA, ANOVA and Canonical correlation analysis were used to answer the research questions. When each variable was used in relationship, the definition of the event was significant predictor for
family
coping(R=0.84, Wilk's Lambda p=0.0001). And some of the patient's family roles were statiscally significant. When the family member's perception of the cancer was used alone in a bivariate relationship, it became a significant predictor for
family
coping as well(F=2.23, p=0.01). The degree of the family coping by family member's perception of cancer was relatively high.
|