ABSTRACT
Purpose: To explore the correlations among the status of stigma, medical coping, and general self-efficacy in young patients with lung cancer. Methods: The convenience sampling method (selecting 123 cases of young patients with lung cancer in our hospital), general questionnaire, Cataldo Lung Cancer Stigma Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, and General Self-efficacy Scale. Results: In the young patients with lung cancer, the total scores of stigma, medical coping modes, and general self-efficacy are (74.49 ± 6.75), (48.94 ± 4.80), and (18.73 ± 5.43) respectively. According to the multiple linear regression analysis, the education level, monthly personal income, and smoking history are the main factors influencing their stigma. The stigma score is negatively correlated with envisaging, one of the medical coping modes, and general self-efficacy, and positively correlated with dodging and submission. These differences are statistically significant (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Young patients with lung cancer had moderately high levels of stigma, with education level, monthly personal income, and smoking history being the main influencing factors. Besides, more severe stigma results in worse envisaging and general self-efficacy of the medical coping modes, thus the young patients with lung cancer tended to adopt the coping modes of dodging and submission. Therefore, clinical nurses should strengthen the nursing intervention based on the information-motivation-behavioral skills model in the management of young patients with lung cancer, and provide timely psychological guidance to reduce their stigma and improve their positive coping modes and self-efficacy.