Cancer and repressive style of coping

Subjects with repressive style of coping (RSC) or repressive style of response, are defined by low anxiety and high social desirability levels -both assessed by means of questionnaires- however high physiological and behavioral activation levels are obtained by physiological and behavioral records. The RSC can frequently be found among patients with cancer. In this work a group of patients with cancer and a control group are compared in some variables related to the potential RSC. The results show a potential RSC among cancer patients. Cancer patients score higher than control group in: Social Desirability, Control as opposite to Neuroticism, Behavior Control in a specific medical checkup situation, Rationality, Antiemotionality and Social Support. On the contrary, cancer patients score lower in Sincerity as opposite to Social Desirability, Anxiety-trait and Anger- expression. These results support the hypothesis of a high incidence of the RSC among cancer patients, and show the need to explore the ways of coping used by the subjects against their illness, in order to improve their quality of life.