Célia Samarina Vilaça de Brito Santos^*1, José Pais Ribeiro², & Carlos Lopes³

¹Escola Superior de Enfermagem de São João, Porto

²Faculdade de Psicologia e de Ciências da Educação da Universidade do Porto

³Instituto Português de Oncologia, Porto

Resumo: O presente estudo teve como objectivo analisar os resultados da tradução/adaptação cultural da Escala de Ajustamento Mental ao Cancro de um Familiar (EAMC-F) e estudar as suas propriedades psicométricas. O instrumento original, denominado Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale-Partner (MAC-P), foi desenvolvido por Watson e colaboradores, tendo por base a Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (MAC Scale), com o objectivo de avaliar as estratégias de coping e reacções emocionais à doença oncológica do(a) parceiro(a). A versão original foi traduzida para o idioma Português, sendo substituídas as palavras "cancro" por "doença" e "parceiro" por "familiar", com vista a uma melhor aceitabilidade nos serviços de saúde e à sua aplicação mais alargada ao núcleo familiar. Foi aplicada a uma amostra de 179 familiares de doentes oncológicos com diferentes localizações anatómicas, 6 a 9 meses após diagnóstico médico. Após análise de componentes principais e validade convergente-discriminante dos itens, foram excluídos 13 itens da escala original, ficando a EAMC-F constituída por 27 itens. A escala é composta por quatro componentes, que descrevem os principais estilos de confronto com a doença (Desânimo/Fatalismo; Espírito de Luta; Preocupação Ansiosa/Revolta e Aceitação/Resignação). Os resultados indiciam estarmos perante uma escala fiável, válida e sensível. Concluímos que EAMC-F constitui um instrumento independente e específico, indicado para a avaliação das estratégias utilizadas pelos familiares de doentes oncológicos e suas respostas emocionais, embora se sugira a necessidade de novos estudos de revalidação.

Palavras chave: Ajustamento, Cancro, Familiar.

Abstract: The aim of this study is to analyse the results of the translation/cultural adaptation of The Mental Adjustment Scale to the Cancer Scale Partner (EAMC-F) and to study its psychometric properties. The original framework, called Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale-Partner (MAC-P) was developed by Watson and his collaborators with the basis of a Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale (MAC Scale), in order to evaluate the strategies of coping and the emotional reactions to the cancer illness of the partner. The original version was translated into Portuguese, replacing the words "cancer" by "illness" and "partner" by "familiar" in order to have a better acceptance in health services and a higher application in the familiar group. It was applied to a sample of 179 familiars of cancer patients with different anatomic localizations, six or nine mouths after the medical diagnosis. After a Principal Components Analysis and convergent-discriminant validity of the items, 13 items are excluded from the original scale, staying the EAMC-F with 27 items. The scale is made up of four components that describe the main styles of confrontation with the illness (Hopeless/Fatalism; Fighting Spirit; Anxious Preoccupation/Disgusting and Acceptation/Resignation). The results show that we have a reliable, valid and sensitive scale. We conclude that EAMC-F is an independent and specific framework recommended to evaluate the strategies used by the familiars of the cancer patients and their emotional answers. However, we recommend the necessity of new revalidation studies.

Key words: Adjustment, Cancer, Partner.

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* Contactar para E-mail: celiasantos@esenf.pt

Recebido em 14 de Outubro de 2005 / Aceite em 15 Dezembro de 2005