The number of people living with and beyond Sample characteristics (size, age, sex) are The Brief COPE measures coping strategies cancer is growing steadily (Macmillan, 2008). shown in Table 1. with varying reliability, with some scales The need to understand the problems faced falling far below acceptable thresholds. following treatment and how they are resolved is becoming increasingly important for cancer The proposed structure of 14 subscales was survivors, service planners and health policy not supported by the analysis of the pooled makers (Foster & Fenlon, 2011). data, suggesting either that people did not employ 14 separate coping strategies, or The Brief COPE (Carver, 1997) is often used in that coping strategies are ‘clustered’ and research to assess coping strategies used by highly interdependent. cancer patients at various stages (e.g. Horney et al., 2011; Scrignaro et al., 2011). It was The kinds of coping strategies used by developed from the much longer COPE (Carver people with cancer should be clarified with et al., 1989), and this short version scale more detailed qualitative research and the consists of 28 items, each assessed on a four- Scale reliability varied widely across scales development of more reliable measures if point Likert scale. The scale was initially and samples (See Table 2: alpha range 0.40 the concept is to retain any utility in cancer reported to have acceptable reliability and to 0.96), equating to measurement error of research. validity data; however reliability was highly between 4% and 60%. Scales with low variable, ranging from .50 to .90 (Carver, 1997). reliability (alpha<0.70) were Acceptance,
Individual items are grouped into 14 subscales
Self-distraction, Behavioural disengagement, Venting and Denial. Scales with high References ranging in score from 0 to 6 (0-3 per item reliability (Alpha>0.80) were Emotional contributing to each subscale): Active coping, Breckons et al. (2012). An online survey to examine support, Substance use, Religion and cancer survivors’ confidence to self-manage problems Planning, Positive reframing, Acceptance, Humour. arising in the first 12 months following primary cancer Humour, Religion, Using emotional support, treatment. Macmillan Cancer Support Report. Using instrumental support, Self-distraction, Factor analysis results were consistent with Carver, C. S. (1997) You want to measure coping but Denial, Venting, Substance use, Behavioural either a smaller number of coping strategies your protocol’s too long: consider the brief COPE. Int J disengagement and Self-blame. Behav Med; 4:92–100. or highly correlated scales: the proposed Carver et al. (1989). Assessing coping strategies: A structure of 14 subscales was not supported theoretically based approach. J Pers Soc Psych, 56, 267- Aim by the pooled data. 283. Foster, C. & Fenlon, D. (2011) Recovery and self- management support following primary cancer To explore the reliability and factor structure of treatment. Brit J Can, 105, S21-S28. the Brief COPE for cancer research using data Horney et al., (2011) Associations between quality of from three separate studies. life, coping styles, optimism, and anxiety and depression in pre-treatment patients with head and neck cancer. Head & Neck, 33(1), 65–71. Methods Hulbert-Williams et al. (2012). Anxiety, depression and quality of life after cancer diagnosis: what psychosocial variables best predict how patients adjust? Brief COPE data were collected in three Psycho-onc, 21(8), 857-867. Macmillan Cancer Support Two Million Reasons – The separate studies: Study 1 with 182 people who Cancer Survivorship Agenda: Why We Need to Support had completed primary treatment for various People with or Beyond Cancer. Macmillan Cancer cancers in past 12 months (Breckons et al., Support: London; 2008. 2012); study 2 (Hulbert-Williams et al 2012) Meyer, B. (2001) Coping with severe mental illness: with 160 people newly diagnosed with breast, relations of the brief COPE with symptoms, functioning, and well-being. J Psychopathol Behav colorectal, lung or prostate cancer; study 3 Assess;23(4):265–277. with 130 people with breast, colorectal, lung Scrignaro et al. (2010) The combined contribution of or prostate cancer 2 to 12 months post- social support and coping strategies in predicting post- diagnosis. traumatic growth: a longitudinal study on cancer patients. Psycho-onc;20(8):823-31.
Reliability of subscales was assessed cross-
sectionally within each sample using Cronbach’s Alpha. Factor structure was examined using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis on pooled data (N=472).