The Role of Social Comparisons in Coping and Quality of Life Following a Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

November 9, 2019 updated by: National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
Social comparisons may function as a coping strategy, but their role in coping and quality of life has not been well characterized. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the relationships between cognitive appraisals; coping strategies; social comparisons; and quality of life among men with prostate cancer. The conceptual framework for this study is drawn from Festinger s Social Comparison Theory, Lazarus and Folkman s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, and Mishel s Uncertainty in Illness Theory. A cancer diagnosis is accompanied by uncertainty about how cancer will affect one s life. Theory and empirical data suggest that in conditions of uncertainty, coping affects adjustment to a condition. Social comparisons have been postulated to be more prevalent in uncertain situations. Because little is known about how social comparisons operate, participants in this study will be recruited exclusively from prostate cancer support groups. Support groups provide a context in which individuals are likely to make social comparisons and to be cognizant of these comparisons. Prostate cancer provides a model of a common, chronic condition with complex etiology. Prostate cancer treatment may cause sexual, urinary, and bowel side effects, which may affect patients quality of life and elicit attempts to cope. One way of managing the prostate cancer experience may be to compare oneself to others who are doing better or worse than oneself on relevant dimensions. The interpretation of social comparisons may positively or negatively affect one s perceived quality of life. There have been no studies among prostate cancer patients that have quantitatively measured the use of social comparisons. There is also a paucity of research in this population regarding the predictors of coping strategies and the predictors of quality of life across multiple domains. This study will use a cross-sectional, mixed methods survey to investigate relationships between cognitive appraisals, coping, and quality of life and to qualitatively explore social comparisons among men with prostate cancer. Participants may complete the survey on paper or online. The primary outcomes are the use of coping strategies, including social comparisons, and quality of life. Individuals with a personal or family history of prostate cancer are currently seen by genetic counselors as part of research studies investigating the genetic basis of prostate cancer. If relationships are demonstrated between the social comparisons and quality of life, genetic counselors may want to assess patients social comparisons to evaluate how patients are coping with their condition.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Detailed Description

Social comparisons may function as a coping strategy, but their role in coping and quality of life has not been well characterized. The purpose of the current study is to investigate the relationships between cognitive appraisals; coping strategies; social comparisons; and quality of life among men with prostate cancer. The conceptual framework for this study is drawn from Festinger s Social Comparison Theory, Lazarus and Folkman s Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, and Mishel s Uncertainty in Illness Theory. A cancer diagnosis is accompanied by uncertainty about how cancer will affect one s life. Theory and empirical data suggest that in conditions of uncertainty, coping affects adjustment to a condition. Social comparisons have been postulated to be more prevalent in uncertain situations. Because little is known about how social comparisons operate, participants in this study will be recruited exclusively from prostate cancer support groups. Support groups provide a context in which individuals are likely to make social comparisons and to be cognizant of these comparisons. Prostate cancer provides a model of a common, chronic condition with complex etiology. Prostate cancer treatment may cause sexual, urinary, and bowel side effects, which may affect patients quality of life and elicit attempts to cope. One way of managing the prostate cancer experience may be to compare oneself to others who are doing better or worse than oneself on relevant dimensions. The interpretation of social comparisons may positively or negatively affect one s perceived quality of life. There have been no studies among prostate cancer patients that have quantitatively measured the use of social comparisons. There is also a paucity of research in this population regarding the predictors of coping strategies and the predictors of quality of life across multiple domains. This study will use a cross-sectional, mixed methods survey to investigate relationships between cognitive appraisals, coping, and quality of life and to qualitatively explore social comparisons among men with prostate cancer. Participants may complete the survey on paper or online. The primary outcomes are the use of coping strategies, including social comparisons, and quality of life. Individuals with a personal or family history of prostate cancer are currently seen by genetic counselors as part of research studies investigating the genetic basis of prostate cancer. If relationships are demonstrated between the social comparisons and quality of life, genetic counselors may want to assess patients social comparisons to evaluate how patients are coping with their condition.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Actual)

196

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892
        • National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), 9000 Rockville Pike

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 70 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

Male

Description

  • INCLUSION CRITERIA:
  • Under 70 years old (the mean age of diagnosis for prostate cancer)
  • Diagnosed between ages 18 and 70 with localized prostate cancer of stage T1b, T1c, or T2

EXCLUSION CRITERIA:

- History of another primary cancer other than a skin cancer that was not melanoma

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Time Perspectives: Retrospective

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Perceived Quality of Life

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Use of various coping strategies
Use of Social ComparisonsUse of Various Coping Strategies

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

July 19, 2010

Study Completion

January 27, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 5, 2010

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 5, 2010

First Posted (Estimate)

August 6, 2010

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 13, 2019

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 9, 2019

Last Verified

January 27, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 999910172
  • 10-HG-N172

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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