Factors influencing the coping strategies of liver cancer patients undergoing transarterial chemoembolization.

Aim: This study explored the association between social support, resilience and coping strategies among patients with liver cancer and evaluated the extent to which patients' use of various coping strategies can be explained by social support and resilience. Methods: This cross‐sectional study comprised 119 patients who experienced transarterial chemoembolization related to liver cancer and who completed the Social Support Scale, the Resilience Scale and the Ways of Coping Checklist‐Revised. Results: Results indicated a significant positive correlation between social support and use of problem‐focused coping strategies and overall coping strategies. In addition, results showed a significant positive correlation between resilience and use of problem‐focused strategies, emotion‐focused strategies and overall coping strategies. Social support accounted for 14% of variance in use of problem‐focused strategies and 7.6% of the variance in overall coping strategies. Resilience accounted for 30.5% of the variance in use of problem‐focused strategies, 8.5% in use of emotion‐focused strategies and 21.6% of overall coping strategies. Conclusion: Results of this study highlight the importance of social support and resilience in patients' coping strategies related to liver cancer treatment. Summary statement: What is already known about this topic? Liver cancer is one of the most common cancers in Asia and a primary contributor to cancer‐related deaths worldwide.Patients with a diagnosis of liver cancer undergoing transarterial chemoembolization face a range of stressors and need to develop coping strategies that enable them to adjust to their circumstances.Coping strategies can be improved with personal inner resources and social outer resources. What this paper adds? Resilience and social support accounted for percentage of the variance in use of problem‐focused strategies more than emotion‐focused strategies.Male and younger patients scored significantly higher in use of problem‐focused strategies than did female and older patients.Patients with higher education scored significantly higher in use of problem‐focused strategies than did patients who were illiterate. The implications of this paper? Health professionals need to focus more attention on female, older and illiterate patients to understand the advantages and weaknesses of their coping strategies.Assessment of social support and resilience might be useful for recognizing patients lacking in certain forms of support and resource.Health professionals should employ approaches that improve patients' social support and resilience in order to strengthen their coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]