Coping strategies and predictors of general well-being in women with breast cancer in the People's Republic of China

Abstract

The presence of breast cancer has been a great challenge to women's health for decades. However, limited information exists about how Chinese women with breast cancer cope with the stressors of the illness and which factors predict their sense of general well-being. Therefore, the purposes of this study of women with breast cancer from the People's Republic of China were to identify the coping strategies being used and to identify which demographic characteristics and coping strategies were the best predictors of general well-being. The sample consisted of 100 newly diagnosed women with breast cancer, located within one city in the People's Republic of China. Each woman completed three paper-and-pencil questionnaires that measured demographics, coping strategies, and general well-being. The findings indicated planning, positive reframing, and self-distraction were the most commonly used coping strategies. The best predictors of general well-being were employment status and the coping method, self-blame.