The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of gender, time since diagnosis, and the family environment on the psychosocial adaptation of cancer patients. This study was important because there is a deficit in the literature investigating the effects of the family environment on psychosocial adaptation in male and female cancer patients with diverse diagnoses. This study measured psychosocial adaptation by the patient's ability to adjust to cancer-related stressors in the areas of social relationships, involvement in health care, psychological well-being, household and work related duties, and family relationships. The family environment was measured by the patient's perceived level of cohesion, expressiveness, and conflict in the family.The study's sample consisted of 149 stage I or II cancer patients over the age of 50 with no prior cancer diagnosis, recurrence, or metastases. Participants completed a set of questionnaires, including the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale and the Family Relationship Index. The combination of gender, time since diagnosis, and the family environment, with demographic variables held constant, was significant and accounted for nearly one-third (27 %) of the variance in cancer patients' psychosocial adaptation. Results showed that the family environment is a significant predictor of psychosocial adaptation in cancer patients. Gender and time since diagnosis were not significantly related to psychosocial adaptation. Implications from this study are offered. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services

Social support is likely to play an especially important role in coping with a cancer diagnosis as it presents a unique set of stressors to the individual. The purpose of this study was to examine biological sex differences in the perceived availability of three modes of social support (emotional, instrumental, and informational), source of support (friends vs. family), and social support seeking behavior in a population of cancer patients. The sample included 71 men and 71 women who had been diagnosed with cancer within two years of the start of the study. No significant sex differences were found in social support seeking; however, results revealed that women perceived greater availability of emotional support as well as greater support from friends on all modes of social support than did men. Implications of these findings and future directions for research are discussed. / Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services