Cluster analysis of the medical coping modes questionnaire: evidence for coping with cancer styles?

A number of researchers have attempted to understand how individuals cope with having cancer. Unfortunately, this voluminous literature has suffered from a number of problems common to other pre-paridigmic disciples. Studies are generally isolated and fail to build upon other research in the literature. In addition, no guiding theory or conceptualization exists that helps to explain and describe the richness and complexity of observed clinical phenomena. With the understanding that coping with cancer is multidimensional, some researchers have attempted to group coping responses into dominant styles. In an effort to better understand the results of this approach, we performed a cluster analysis on 117 responses to a three scale questionnaire, the Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire. Results indicated that subjects can be grouped into one of four coping categories: confrontive, avoidant, resigned, or with a nondominant style. Future research is needed to explore how these styles influence quality of life during and following treatment.