Role of mortality salience in health behaviours and coping among lung cancer patients a terror management health model perspective

Abstract

With advancement in the field of medicine and technology, treatment process has also developed. But, a diagnosis of cancer is still considered as a death sentence. newlineCancer is a generic term for all malignant neoplasm that can affect any part of the newlinebody. There are over 200 types of cancer that has been recognized. Lung cancer is a newlinetype of cancer in which uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells occurs in one or both of the lungs. These abnormal cells reproduce faster and never grow into normal lung tissue. The emotional stress of living with a diagnosis of cancer and its treatment, fear of recurrence, and the distress imposed by living with the day-to-day physical problems can create new or worsen pre-existing psychological distress for people living with cancer, their families, and other informal caregivers. The most salient psychological feature of a cancer diagnosis is the fear of dying (Kübler-Ross, 1969). Sand (2008) in her study found that the primary cancer diagnosis was perceived as a death sentence. She reported that one s own life was threatened and one s life was no longer on the same solid ground that had previously been taken for granted. This profound existential transformation was frightening and difficult to cope with. For individuals with lung cancer, a group shown to have higher illness burden, lowered quality of life, and high psychological distress compared with survivors of other cancers (Schag, Ganz, Wing, Sim, and Lee,1994; Sugimura, and Yang, 2006), the lack of research that has systematically addressed death and existential concerns is particularly glaring. newline