THE MINI-MAC - FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE MENTAL ADJUSTMENT TO CANCERSCALE

Development of self-report measures of coping remains important to the process of monitoring the mental state of patients suffering from can cer. The present study extended and refined the scope of the Mental Ad justment to Cancer (MAC) scale, a self-report measure designed to give a rapid assessment of coping style. A heterogeneous group of 573 canc er patients completed a questionnaire containing the MAC scale and an additional 26-item research scale. A rigorous factor analysis procedur e was used to determine the items that would be retained for a new sca le: the Mini-MAC. The scope of the original MAC scale was widened to i nclude items relating to avoidance (an important psychological respons e), and the original response items were clarified and refined. The Mi ni-MAC should be a useful tool for obtaining a rapid, reliable, and ec onomical assessment of coping style.