Self-Efficacy, Family Support and Knowledge of Illness as Correlates of Adaptive Coping Among Breast Cancer Patients

The study examined self-efficacy, family support and knowledge of illness as correlates of adaptive coping among breast cancer patients. A total of one hundred and twenty (120) medically diagnosed breast cancer women who were presented at Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Nnewi, Anambra State, Nigeria and accepted to participate formed the sample of the study. Their ages ranged from 35 to 60 years, with a mean age of 40 years and standard deviation of 6.28. The General Self-Efficacy Scale by Jerusalem and Schwarzer (1992), Family Support Scale by Procidano and Heller (2003) and Adative Coping Inventory by Kohn, O’Brien-Wood, Pickering and Decicco (2003) were used for data collection. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to test three hypotheses which was accepted at r<0.5. The first hypothesis which stated that self-efficacy will significantly correlate positively with adaptive coping among breast cancer patients was accepted (r=.27), the second hypothesis which stated that family support will significantly correlate positively with adaptive coping among breast cancer patients was accepted (r=.20) and the third hypothesis which stated that knowledge of illness will significantly correlate positively with adaptive coping among breast cancer patients was also accepted (r=.37). The researcher recommended the need for clinicians or health care personnel to consider the inclusion of qualitative family and social network, individual’s self- efficacy and prior knowledge of breast cancer on the package for modification or treatment and management of breast cancer patients in their clinical work. Family members should support and create hope for their loved ones that have breast cancer and also breast cancer patients should be encouraged to join support groups which are formed by similar people who were diagnosed with breast cancer and experience the same level of difficulties, in order to promote their self-efficacy and adaptiveness in coping.