Hardiness, Death Anxiety, and Coping Strategies in Women with Breast Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease

Objective: Psychological hardiness, death anxiety, and coping strategies may differ between the two groups of patients with cardiovascular disease and breast cancer. Method: This study employs a descriptive, causal-comparative design. Subjects of this study included two groups of women with breast cancer and cardiovascular disease: ۶۰ patients (۳۰ cardiovascular and ۳۰ breast cancer).  Ahvaz Psychological Hardiness Scale, Collet-Lester Fear of Death Scale, and Lazarus Coping Strategies Questionnaire were used to assess the study's three variables.Results: MANOVA results showed a significant difference in psychological hardiness and death anxiety between the two patient groups. Women with cardiovascular disease had higher hardness (F=۴/۸۴, P=۰.۳) and lower death anxiety (F=۴/۷۱, P=۰.۳) than women with breast cancer. Women with breast cancer used emotion-focused strategies more than those with cardiovascular disease, while women with cardiovascular disease used problem-focused coping strategies (F=۴/۴۲, P=۰.۴). Conclusion: The type of chronic disease can affect the role of positive psychological factors in chronic diseases. Women with breast cancer have more stress and anxiety about death. They use ineffective strategies to cope with the stress.

کلیدواژه ها:

Hardiness ، death anxiety ، Coping Strategies ، breast cancer ، Health Psychology