Psychosocial adjustment among low-income Latina cervical cancer patients.

Cancer-related coping strategies and social support, life stress, and optimism were tested in regression analyses as predictors of depression, affect, and quality of life among 54 low-income, immigrant Latina cervical cancer patients. Sixty-seven percent of the patients endorsed symptoms similar to diagnosable depression. Predictors significantly accounted for 35% to 54% of the variance in outcomes. Cancer-related coping strategies were found to mediate several of the relations between life stress, social support, and optimism and outcomes. Findings emphasize the need to consider the context within which patients live when assessing adjustment to cancer and developing culturally-sensitive interventions.