Association between psychological coping styles and outcomes (survival and recurrence) at 8 weeks to 15 years in patients with cancer
| Outcomes | Coping style(number of studies) | Results |
|---|---|---|
| Survival | Fighting spirit (10) | 2 small studies reported longer survival |
| Helplessness/hopelessness (12) | 2 small studies reported reduced survival | |
| Avoidance (10) | No significant associations reported | |
| Denial (5) | 1 small study reported reduced survival | |
| Stoic acceptance and fatalism (9) | 4 high quality studies reported no association | |
| Anxious or depressive (10) | 2 studies reported reduced survival | |
| Active or problem focused (8) | 1 study reported longer survival up to 7 years | |
| Emotional factors (eg, suppression) (6) | 1 high quality study reported longer survival | |
| Recurrence | Fighting spirit (4) | 3 small studies reported reduced risk of recurrence |
| Helplessness/hopelessness (5) | Findings were inconsistent | |
| Avoidance or denial (8) | 1 small study reported increased risk of recurrence | |
| Stoic acceptance and fatalism (4) | 4 studies reported no association | |
| Anxious or depressive (10) | No significant associations reported | |
| Active or problem focused (8) | No significant associations reported |