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Background and objectives The role of coping mechanisms and alcoholism in people affected with malignant tumours of oral cavity and oropharynx is not clearly established in literature. The aim of this study was to compare the coping strategies of the alcohol dependent patients affected by the malignant tumours of oral cavity and oropharynx with the alcohol dependent patients who were not affected by the carcinoma and the healthy population.
Methods The study included a total of 153 participants divided into three groups matched in age, gender, education, work and marital status. The first group consisted of 51 alcohol dependent patients diagnosed with malignant tumour of the oral cavity and oropharynx who had been hospitalised and undergone surgery. The second group included 51 patients diagnosed with alcohol dependence but with no cancer diagnosis and the third group consisted of 51 participants who had not previously had any health problems. All participants completed the self-assessment test aimed at registering their usual strategies of coping with stress.
Results The three groups of patients differed most in avoidance coping, both on the total score (F(2,150)=3,986; p=0.021) and the following subscales: accepting (F(2,150)=5,509; p=0.005), mental disengagement (F(2,150)=4,017; p=0.020), religion (F(2,150)=4,527; p=0.012), alcohol/drug consumption (F(2,150)=11,825; p<0.001) and isolation (F(2,150)=3,448; p=0.034). Compared to healthy controls, patients diagnosed with malignant tumour and alcohol dependence used more avoidance in coping with stress (p=0.010).
Conclusion Despite the limited generalisation and cross-sectional study design the results indicated that patients affected by alcohol dependency and malignant tumour of oral cavity and oropharynx perceived their illness as something out of their control, something that they can hardly deal with, and mostly relied on disengaging/distancing coping strategies.
