A prospective study of coping, perceived control, and psychological adaptation to breast cancer

Coping, perceived control, and Symptoms Of anxiety/depression were assessed in 70 women with breast cancer near their diagnosis and at 3- and 6-month follow-Icps. Multiple regression equations were constructed to investigate the effects of coping, perceived control, and their interaction on anxiety/ depression symptoms. Problem focused engagement coping was related to lower anxiety/depression symptoms near diagnosis; emotion-focused disengagement coping was related to more anxiety/depression symptoms at 6 months, control ling for initial anxiety,/depression; and problem-focused engagement was,ns marginally related to lower anxiety/depression symptoms at 6 months contro lling for initial anxiety/depression. There were no main effects for percei ved control. The interaction of problem-focused engagement coping and perce ived control was a significant predictor of lower anxiety/depression sympto ms only near the time of diagnosis. Thus, the goodness-of-fit effect, in wh ich problem-focused coping interacts with perceived control to predict lowe r levels of anxiety/depression, was replicated cross-sectionally, but not p rospectively.