Psychological Adjustment, Adaptation, and Perception of Social Support in French Adolescents and Young Adults After the Diagnosis of Cancer.

Purpose: The third Cancer Plan (2014-2019) has helped with the recognition of adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with cancer's medical and psychosocial specificities and has enabled the creation of dedicated structures in France. Methods: The study involved 43 AYA patients ( N men  = 21; N women  = 22) between 15 and 27 years old ( M age  = 19.9), diagnosed with all types of cancer, and were recruited in two French cancer centers. Online questionnaires were filled in 2 months after the beginning of treatment. AYAs completed measures of depressive and anxiety symptoms, perceived social support, and coping strategies. Results: Results demonstrated moderate depressive symptoms ( M  = 10.7, standard deviation [SD] = 7.0) and suggested a good satisfaction ( M  = 30, SD = 9.5) and a mild availability ( M  = 27, SD = 10.3) of the social support. Spearman's correlations demonstrated that coping strategies are related to depressive symptoms, for which acceptance ( p  < 0.01) of the disease played a key role in their psychological adjustment. Perceived social support subscales were positively correlated with the use of distraction as a coping strategy ( p  < 0.05). Kruskal-Wallis test demonstrated the preferential use of instrumental ( p  < 0.05) and emotional support ( p  < 0.01), denial ( p  < 0.01), and self-blame ( p  < 0.01) for women and the use of acceptance ( p  < 0.05) and humor ( p  < 0.05) for men; and there were no significant differences between patients hospitalized in the two cancer center facilities. Conclusion: Finally, a better understanding of the psychological adjustment and processes among French AYAs with cancer will help families and processionals to better adjust AYA-specific needs at the beginning of cancer treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov. : NCT03964116.