Well-Adjusted and Maladjusted Cancer Patients: An Examination of Communication Variables

This article investigates the role communication played in the adjustment pro- cess for cancer patients. Adjustment to illness was assessed by the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS; Derogatis, 1986). Communication variables were tapped by a patient-family communication instrument. The findings re- vealed that well-adjusted patients and maladjusted patients differed in the frequency of communication, level of honesty in the communicative environ- ment, amount of encouragement received from relational partners, and the way unpleasant topics were handled. Respondents revealed that relational partners curtailed discussions concerning the unpleasant aspects of the illness, which negatively affected the adjustment process.