Features of psychopathological response and coping in patients with malignant skin diseases with a low level of vital threat

Abstract

Background. Malignant skin tumors are common oncological diseases that have a negative impact on the psyche; their nosological and clinical heterogeneity necessitates in-depth study and differential approaches to the elimination of psychopathological manifestations. Purpose: to study the features of psychopathological response and stress-overcoming behavior in patients with malignant skin tumors with a low level of vital threat. Objectives of the study: to determine the features of depressive manifestations, the structure and expressiveness of psychopathological symptoms and the coping repertoire of patients with malignant skin tumors with a low level of vital threat, as well as the relationship between psychopathological symptoms and stress-coping behavior. Materials and Methods. 24 men and 15 women with basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma were clinically and psychologically examined using the HRDS, HARS, SCL-90-R and the Coping Behavior questionnaire. Results. The presence of a clinically defined depressive disorder was established in 38.5% of patients with a predominance of low mood (69.2%), feeling tired (56.4%), anxious (71.8%), pessimistic (59.0%) and dyssomnic (56.4%) symptoms and elevated depression indicators (11.85±8.52 points). Predominance in psychopathological symptoms of somatization (2.55±0.35 points), anxiety (2.38±0.35 points) and depression (2.15±0.57 points) was established. Study of the coping of patients with malignant skin tumors with a low level of vital threat revealed a predominance of relatively constructive coping strategies of self-control (70.69±8.64 points), search for social support (67.23±13.84 points) and acceptance of responsibility (64.09±19.04 points) and significant direct correlations of medium strength between non-constructive coping and anxiety and hostility, and inverse correlations between constructive and conditionally constructive coping and depression and hostility. Conclusions. Patients with skin cancer with a low level of vital threat are characterized by a high susceptibility to depressive disorders, mainly vital and asthenodepressive forms, with pronounced somatization; the predominance in the coping repertoire of strategies of self-control, seeking social support, accepting responsibility, distancing and planning to solve the problem, which are correlated with anxiety, depression and hostility.