Goal adjustment strategies operationalised and empirically examined in adolescents with cancer. (August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Janse, Moniek; Sulkers, Esther; Tissing, Wim JE; Sanderman, Robbert; Sprangers, Mirjam AG; Ranchor, Adelita V; Fleer, Joke
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 21:Number 8(2016:Aug.)
• Page Start: 1505
• Page End: 1515
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Subjects: adolescence -- adjustment -- cancer -- goals -- strategies; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105314557504
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

Adolescents facing cancer may need to adjust their personal life goals. Theories identified several goal adjustment strategies, but their use has not been tested. Therefore, this study operationalises goal adjustment strategies and examines their use. Adolescent cancer patients listed their goals 3 and 12 months post-diagnosis. Goals received scores on five goal characteristics: life domain, level of abstraction, importance, attainability and effort. Results showed that adolescents with cancer ( N = 30, mean age: 14.2 years, 60% female) used four of five strategies described in theory, while one additional strategy was found. These findings suggest that adolescents with cancer use goal adjustment strategies as measured by goal characteristics over time.