Religious coping and behavioral disengagement: opposing influences on advance care planning and receipt of intensive care near death.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines the relationships between methods of coping with advanced cancer, completion of advance care directives, and receipt of intensive, life-prolonging care near death.

METHODS: The analysis is based on a sample of 345 patients interviewed between January 1, 2003, and August 31, 2007, and followed until death as part of the Coping with Cancer Study, an NCI/NIMH-funded, multi-site, prospective, longitudinal, cohort study of patients with advanced cancer. The Brief COPE was used to assess active coping, use of emotional-support, and behavioral disengagement. The Brief RCOPE was used to assess positive and negative religious coping. The main outcome was intensive, life-prolonging care near death, defined as receipt of ventilation or resuscitation in the last week of life.

RESULTS: Positive religious coping was associated with lower rates of having a living will (AOR = 0.39, p = 0.003) and predicted higher rates of intensive, life-prolonging care near death (AOR, 5.43; p<0.001), adjusting for other coping methods and potential socio-demographic and health status confounds. Behavioral disengagement was associated with higher rates of DNR order completion (AOR, 2.78; p = 0.003) and predicted lower rates of intensive life-prolonging care near death (AOR, 0.20; p = 0.036). Not having a living will partially mediate the influence of positive religious coping on receipt of intensive, life-prolonging care near death.

CONCLUSION: Positive religious coping and behavioral disengagement are important determinants of completion of advance care directives and receipt of intensive, life-prolonging care near death.