THE MINI-MAC - FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE MENTAL ADJUSTMENT TO CANCER SCALE

Development of self-report measures of coping remains important to the process of monitoring the mental state of patients suffering from cancer. The present study extended and refined the scope of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC) scale, a self-report measure designed to give a rapid assessment of coping style. A heterogeneous group of 573 cancer patients completed a questionnaire containing the MAC scale and an additional 26-item research scale. A rigorous factor analysis procedure was used to determine the items that would be retained for a new scale: the Mini-MAC. The scope of the original MAC scale was widened to include items relating to avoidance (an important psychological response), and the original response items were clarified and refined. The Mini-MAC should be a useful tool for obtaining a rapid, reliable, and economical assessment of coping style.