The Coping Strategies, Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Emotional Response to the Disease in Russian Patients with Chronic Leukemia

摘要

Patients with chronic hematological malignancies must cope with multiple challenges over time. This study describes coping strategies, defense mechanisms, and emotional response to oncological diagnosis (depressive symptoms and anxiety) of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia as part of an original complex psychosomatic model. A total of 80 patients with chronic leukemia participated in the study. The following psychological measurement instruments were used: Ways of Coping Questionnaire, Life Style Index (LSI), The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI). In addition to the psychological questionnaires, the objective data of dynamics of treatment and correlation analysis between signs were used. The formation of adaptive behavior by patients with chronic leukemia is based on the interaction of coping/seeking solutions with the defense mechanisms of escape/avoidance and denial. The level of trait and state anxiety in patients with chronic leukemia does not exceed the standard values. Depressive syndromes reach moderate levels in patients with chronic leukemia. A strong correlation between somatic and psychological data was revealed. Results of this study extend previous findings by showing that the level of depression may play a significant role in the dynamics of treatment.