Exploring Coping Strategies and Quality of Life in Adolescents with Cancer: Pilot Study Findings

  1. Monica Licu
  2. Darren Haywood
  3. Elisabeta Nita
  4. Adrian Pogacian

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Abstract

Objective: The objective of this exploratory pilot study was to examine the relationship between coping strategies and perceived quality of life in adolescents diagnosed with oncological diseases, with attention to the potential role of psychosocial factors in emotional adaptation. Method: The study included 20 adolescents (12 boys, 8 girls), aged 12–18 years, enrolled in the hospital school program in Bucharest, Romania, while receiving active oncological treatment. Participants completed two validated instruments: the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL—Cancer Module) and the KidCOPE questionnaire. Results: The mean quality of life score was 70, indicating a moderately good level of quality of life. Emotion-focused and avoidance-based strategies (distraction, social withdrawal, and acceptance) were most frequently reported, while problem-focused coping was less common. Regression analysis showed that coping dimensions explained approximately 26% of the variance in quality of life (R2 = 0.26, F(3,16) = 1.83, p = 0.183). Although the overall model was not statistically significant, an observed negative association was found between avoidant coping and quality of life (p = 0.037). These results should be interpreted with caution given the small sample size and cross-sectional design. Discussion: The findings suggest that adolescents with cancer may maintain a functional level of adaptation despite medical and emotional challenges, supported by medical staff and social resources. The predominance of avoidant strategies highlights the need for further investigation of their long-term implications. Conclusions: These preliminary results generate hypotheses and underline the importance of future research on psychological and educational interventions aimed at fostering more active coping strategies and supporting resilience in adolescents with cancer.

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  1. Version published to 10.3390/children12101312
  2. PREreview

    This Zenodo record is a permanently preserved version of a Structured PREreview. You can view the complete PREreview at https://prereview.org/reviews/17107537.

    Does the introduction explain the objective of the research presented in the preprint? Yes The introduction (p. 2) clearly describes the study's aims, "to investigate the relationship between coping strategies and perceived quality of life among adolescents diagnosed with cancer, and to examine the influence of psychosocial factors."
    Are the methods well-suited for this research? Neither appropriate nor inappropriate There are several issues of note. However, in raising theses questions and comments, I do note that the authors clearly indicate in the title and in the limitations section (p. 5) that this is an exploratory, pilot study: (1) This study has a fairly small sample size (n = 20), with a wide age range (12-18 years). This raises questions about statistical power, generalizability, etc. (2) The study is exploratory, rather than preregistered. This is neither a good, nor a bad thing, given it's nature as a pilot study. However, it is unclear the extent to which other analyses were conducted, but not reported. (3) Missing data is not described or addressed in the manuscript. (4) The measures used (PedsQL and KidCOPE) are described in some detail, but no information is provided about their reliability/validity.
    Are the conclusions supported by the data? Somewhat supported The authors do an adequate job signaling that these findings are preliminary and tentative. The conclusions are more or less in line with the reported results. The sole p-value reported was checked by the reviewer for consistency and was accurate, based on the reported test statistics.
    Are the data presentations, including visualizations, well-suited to represent the data? Neither appropriate and clear nor inappropriate and unclear I thought the mean scores for the PedsQL could have been enhanced by also reporting standard deviations to better account for how varied responses may have been in the sample for each dimension.
    How clearly do the authors discuss, explain, and interpret their findings and potential next steps for the research? Somewhat clearly
    Is the preprint likely to advance academic knowledge? I don't know
    Would it benefit from language editing? No
    Would you recommend this preprint to others? Yes, but it needs to be improved
    Is it ready for attention from an editor, publisher or broader audience? Yes, after minor changes I think the manuscript could be enhanced with more detail about the methods, recruitment practices, handling of missing data, and inclusion of a data sharing statement, among other comments made in this review. Moreover, I think it would benefit from a more thorough literature review in the background section, describing previous work, in this or other populations, which look at the relationship between coping and QOL.

    Competing interests

    The author declares that they have no competing interests.

  3. Version published to 10.20944/preprints202509.0485.v1