Religious Coping and Mental Adjustment to Cancer Among Polish Adolescents

Adults suffering from chronic illnesses are more likely to look to God for support (positive religious coping; PRC) than to fight against God (negative religious coping; NRC). What about when cancer occurs during adolescence—a period of questioning the worldview and values, and at the same time sear...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of religion and health 2024-04, Vol.63 (2), p.1390-1412
Main Authors: Puchalska-Wasyl, Małgorzata M., Małaj, Magdalena
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adaptation, Psychological
Adolescent
Adult
Aging
Cancer
Clinical Psychology
Female
Humans
Male
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Neoplasms
Original Paper
Poland
Public Health
Religion and Psychology
Religious Studies
Surveys and Questionnaires
Teenagers
Well being
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Summary:Adults suffering from chronic illnesses are more likely to look to God for support (positive religious coping; PRC) than to fight against God (negative religious coping; NRC). What about when cancer occurs during adolescence—a period of questioning the worldview and values, and at the same time searching for the sacred? Our study aimed to establish the relationships between PRC, NRC, and mental adjustment to cancer among youth and determine support’s role in these relationships. The study was conducted in Poland and included 88 adolescent cancer patients who completed the Brief RCOPE and the Mini-MAC. Additionally, general well-being and support were assessed. We found that PRC was positively related to constructive adjustment style (CAS), whereas NCR was related to destructive adjustment style (DAS). Adolescents with cancer were higher in PRC than in NRC and were higher in CAS than in DAS. In young women, CAS was higher than in men. Finally, at a level of received support rated as very high, PRC promoted fighting spirit and well-being.
ISSN:0022-4197
1573-6571
1573-6571
DOI:10.1007/s10943-023-01858-9