Coping with melanoma - ten strategies that promote psychological adjustment

Melanoma patients, like anyone with a life-threatening diagnosis, have a lot to cope with. Many aspects of a person are threatened and disrupted by the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Some ways of coping are generally better than others-they are more conducive to a good quality of life when dealing with a serious illness. This article addresses what the research on coping with cancer has identified as being constructive or positive ways of coping, some of the common obstacles that make it difficult for patients to cope in these positive ways, and how health care professionals can help patients overcome these obstacles and thus help them in the process of coping.