Selected psychological resources of patients with ovarian cancer and the severity of the side effects of chemotherapy 

Introduction: Nowadays, more and more emphasis is put on the importance of psychological factors and mechanisms that can improve the functioning of patients with somatic diseases. The aim of the study was presenting the relation between selected psychological resources available to patients suffering from ovarian cancer, and the severity of the side effects of chemotherapy.

Material and methods: The sample consisted of 47 patients treated for ovarian cancer, who differed in the degree of severity of the side effects of chemotherapy. The women filled in the following tests: Life Orientation Test LOT-R, Basic Hope Questionnaire BHI-12, AIS Acceptance of Illness Scale, Mini-Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (Mini-MAC), a survey to investigate rational beliefs and a survey to study the side effects of chemotherapy (both own work).

Results and conclusions: The existence of a negative correlation was demonstrated, between the severity of the side effects of chemotherapy and the level of dispositional optimism, the level of acceptance of the disease and a positive re-evaluation strategy. A positive correlation was revealed between the severity of side effects of the treatment and a destructive style of coping with cancer, including helplessness-hopelessness and anxious preoccupation strategies. The other three psychological variables classified as psychological resources, namely the basic hope, rational beliefs and the fighting spirit strategy belonging to constructive coping style, did not correlate with the severity of the side effects of chemotherapy in patients with ovarian cancer.