Pandemic coping and COVID-19 preventive behaviors among cancer survivors.

Background: Cancer survivors are at greater risk for COVID-19 complications, emphasizing the importance of adherence to COVID-19 prevention. Active coping mechanisms can help manage pandemic stress but disengaged coping practices can have adverse effects.
Objectives: 1) Identify differences in COVID-19 coping styles and COVID-19 preventive behaviors among cancer survivors in active treatment, survivors not in treatment, and a comparison group without a cancer history. 2) Exploring variables that may predict adherence to COVID-19 preventative behaviors.
Patient Involvement & Methods: This study used an online survey among two categories of cancer survivors - one group in active treatment and one group no longer in treatment - and one group without a cancer history (N = 897 total).
Results and Discussion: Cancer survivors in treatment were more likely to utilize both active and disengaged coping (p < .001). This could indicate that the additional COVID-19 strain is making survivors more likely to engage in coping in any way possible. Cancer survivors not in treatment were less likely to report intent to carry out COVID- 19 preventative behaviors compared to the comparison group (p = .009). Providers should understand how survivors may use both coping mechanism types because these coping strategies predict both depression and adherence to COVID-19 preventive behaviors.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier B.V.)