Cross-cultural adaptation to the European Portuguese of the Coping Strategies Scale for Cancer Patients

Abstract

Chronic stress can cause harmful effects on physical and mental health. Associated with chronic diseases such as cancer, it can intensify negative emotions at the time of diagnosis and during treatment, as well as result in cognitive changes. Managing stress effectively through adaptive coping strategies such as seeking social support, problem-solving, and practicing relaxation techniques is crucial for maintaining quality of life. The present research proposes to adapt the Coping Strategies Scale for Cancer Patients to European Portuguese (pt-eu). Specific objectives include drafting items according to pt-eu, investigating the internal structure of Coping Strategies Scale for Cancer Patients for the Portuguese population, comparing coping between Brazilian and Portuguese patients and verifying the correlation of coping strategies with related constructs. The research involves two studies: (a) transcultural adaptation and (b) search for evidence of validity. In addition to Coping Strategies Scale for Cancer Patients, the instruments Cancer Coping Questionnaire, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Cognitive Function will be used, and data analysis will involve qualitative and quantitative techniques (such as confirmatory factor analysis and correlation analysis). Hypotheses include linguistic comprehensibility for speakers from Portugal, stability of internal structure across cultures, differences in Coping Strategies Scale for Cancer Patients scores due to culture, and negative correlation between coping strategies, cognitive complaints, and depressive/anxious symptoms.