Afrontamiento y tolerancia al estrés en mujeres con cáncer de mama en un Hospital de Guayaquil.

Abstract

Stress is very common in women suffering from breast cancer or any other type of cancer, coping is an action to face events or vital processes. Objective: To determine the coping and tolerance to stress in women with breast cancer attending a hospital in Guayaquil. Methodology: descriptive, quantitative, retrospective, cross-sectional. Population: 80 women with breast cancer who met the inclusion criteria. Technique: Indirect observation. Instrument: Questionnaire of questions based on Callista Roy's Coping and Adaptation Process Measurement Scale. Results: The predominant characteristics were patients older than 45 years (62%), single (39%) with a secondary academic level (33%) and of mixed race (87%). When applying the Coping and Adaptation Process Measurement Scale, it is distinguished that they follow several indications despite being in crisis (68%), gather as much information as possible to solve the problem (80%), gather different options to handle the situation (73%), use a sense of humor (82%) and try to be creative to find solutions (83%). A greater predominance of the diagnosis of transfer stress syndrome was determined (81%). Conclusion: It is evident that not all breast cancer patients develop ways of coping with the disease in order to have emotional stability, involving personal, emotional, religious relationships and behaviors of adaptation to the disease.