Mood, Coping Style, and Personality Functioning Among Adult Bone Marrow Transplant Candidates

Increasing use of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and improved survival rates have led to growing concerns regarding the psychological adjustment of BMT recipients. However, few systematic studies have been conducted and those reported have focused primarily on the psychological functioning of BMT recipients several months or years after transplantation. In this article, the authors report normative psychological data on 51 BMT candidates assessed before hospitalization. Overall, the authors found little support for previous anecdotal reports that hypothesized increased incidences of negative affect during this preadmission period. Interestingly, however, patients’ use of a passive coping style was significantly correlated with higher degrees of negative affect and psychopathology. The data reported provide a foundation for a more prospective, longitudinal assessment of BMT patients.