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ORIGINAL PAPER
Sense of Coherence as a correlate of psychological processes in cancer patients: a pilot study of relationships between stress, acceptance, and distress
1
WSEI University in Lublin,
2
WSGE University of Applied Science in Józefów
Submission date: 2025-07-15
Final revision date: 2025-11-06
Acceptance date: 2025-11-17
Publication date: 2025-12-29
JoMS 2025;64(4):699-723
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
ABSTRACT
Objectives:
Cancer represents one of the most traumatic health experiences, triggering complex psychological processes related to disease coping, health situation acceptance, and perceived stress levels. This experience is highly anxiety-provoking and often exceeds patients' adaptive capacities. Cognitive appraisal of the disease, global life orientation, and critical life events experienced by patients generate consequences in disease-related attitudes, particularly regarding adaptation to changed conditions and manifesting in distress intensity levels and stress-coping strategies.
Material and methods:
The study included 50 patients with diagnosed cancer using standardized instruments: Sense of Coherence – Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC-29), Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE), Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (MINI-MAC), and one non-standardized tool: NCCN Distress Thermometer. Variable distribution analysis was conducted using Shapiro-Wilk test. Relationships between variables were determined using Spearman's rho coefficient.
Results:
Statistical analyses revealed significant correlations between SOC levels and applied coping strategies, psychological adjustment to cancer levels, but showed no significant correlations between SOC and distress intensity. Patients with higher sense of coherence demonstrated more effective adaptive strategies, higher disease acceptance, and lower negative emotional symptoms.
Conclusions:
Sense of coherence constitutes a key psychological resource related to effective cancer coping. Results indicate potential utilization of sense of coherence concepts in psychological support processes for oncological patients.
Cancer represents one of the most traumatic health experiences, triggering complex psychological processes related to disease coping, health situation acceptance, and perceived stress levels. This experience is highly anxiety-provoking and often exceeds patients' adaptive capacities. Cognitive appraisal of the disease, global life orientation, and critical life events experienced by patients generate consequences in disease-related attitudes, particularly regarding adaptation to changed conditions and manifesting in distress intensity levels and stress-coping strategies.
Material and methods:
The study included 50 patients with diagnosed cancer using standardized instruments: Sense of Coherence – Orientation to Life Questionnaire (SOC-29), Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (COPE), Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (MINI-MAC), and one non-standardized tool: NCCN Distress Thermometer. Variable distribution analysis was conducted using Shapiro-Wilk test. Relationships between variables were determined using Spearman's rho coefficient.
Results:
Statistical analyses revealed significant correlations between SOC levels and applied coping strategies, psychological adjustment to cancer levels, but showed no significant correlations between SOC and distress intensity. Patients with higher sense of coherence demonstrated more effective adaptive strategies, higher disease acceptance, and lower negative emotional symptoms.
Conclusions:
Sense of coherence constitutes a key psychological resource related to effective cancer coping. Results indicate potential utilization of sense of coherence concepts in psychological support processes for oncological patients.
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