Summary of Coping Lecture

- Defn: Cognitive or behavioural responsee to a stressor in order to reduce distress (has some purpose)

Two Types of coping strategies
1 - Task - Oriented Coping: We try to change the situation that is distressing us (eg: breast lump --> doctor)
2 - Affect - Oriented Coping: We try and change the way we think about the problem (e.g.: terminal illness --> "everyone dies at some time")
- For affect oriented coping you have theese other strategies: (MPBD): magical thinking, passive acceptance, blind faith, dutiful optimism

Taxonomy of Coping
1- Control that a person has over the outcome of the problem that is causing the distress
2 - Push problems at forefront or back of mind (i.e.: face it or dont face it)

Examples of coping strategies
Resignation - When patient gives up (passive acceptance) - good and bad
Dependency - total reliance on medical profession (i.e.: "I am powerless, Lyn is powerful")
Control - advise patients to have control over their condition (problem: they want too much info, or they try too hard forgetting that they are about to die). 

Hardest patients are who have:
Rejection - think the whole illness scene is a big mistake
Minimisation - they tend to downregulate the condition
Avoidance - active steps to avoid the problem
Surrender - hopeless and helpless situation

Coping Styles - Research evidence
- Pettingale Study - looked at survival rrates of women who had mastectomy
- He found that:
	- 5/10 -denial
	- 6/10 - fighting spirit
	- 7/32 - passive acceptance
	- 1/5 - helpless or hopeless
- Conclusion: There is an exicting possibbility that coping style affects outcome
- Basically it may not prolong survival bbut improves quality of life