Ajustamento mental ao cancro e auto-eficácia percebida dos familiares dos doentes oncológicos em fase terminal, seguidos em cuidados paliativos

Abstract

A terminal oncological disease brings implications not just to the oncological patient, reflecting its sometimes devastating effects, on the family. This investigation intends to improve the theoretical knowledge of coping strategies, used by relatives of oncological patients in terminal stage, their emotional reactions to the disease, their perception of self-efficacy and the contribution given by the assistance provided by team of palliative care. It is an exploratory study, descriptive and correlational, with accidental type sampling, constituted by 131 relatives of terminal stage oncological patients. The Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale - Partner and the General Perceived SelfEfficacy Scale where used as data gathering instruments. The results show that strategies of confrontation of the terminal oncological disease are preferably adopted. Fighting spirit and Acceptance/Resignation favor a more adaptive mental adjustment to cancer, while Helplessness/Fatalism and Anxious Preoccupation/Revolt contribute in the opposite sense. In spite of the negative influence of Anxious Preoccupation/Revolt, it was observed it sometimes originated Fighting Spirit resources. The positive valorization of the relatives’ performance improves their self-efficacy, favoring a set of cognitive and compartmental responses regarding cancer. Those who choose Acceptance/Resignation strategies, to face the terminal oncological disease, also show higher self-efficacy. The assistance provided by a team of palliative care contributes to increase the perception of self-efficacy. There were no significant values, on the results of mental adjustment, to a relatives’ cancer.

Date of Award	2012
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Teresa Martins (Supervisor)