The proposed study will examine whether cognitive coping skills training (e.g. cognitive reappraisal, calming self-talk, selective attention) will decrease postoperative distress. Syrjala, Cummings and Donaldson (1992) conducted a study which has implications for the proposed research. Specifically, the authors tested the efficacy of four psychological techniques for reducing cancer pain and/or postchemotherapy nausea and emesis in 45 bone marrow transplant patients with hematological malignancies.
The four examined techniques were: hypnosis, cognitive behavioral coping skills training, therapist contact control, or treatment as usual. Patients were required to complete measures of both physical and psychological functioning. While hypnosis was found to be maximally successful for reducing reported pain, all treatment modes were found to be effective in relieving nausea and emesis.
Clearly, an element of post-surgical distress is pain. Therefore, studies such as Syrjala et. al. that examine for cognitive coping skills training in relation to pain are highly salient. Another investigation of cognitive coping skills and pain was conducted by Cassens, Stalling and Ahles (1988). In their study of the effects of cognitive coping skills on the experience of cold pressor pain, 60 female undergraduates were assigned to one of three conditions: relaxation, cognitive coping skills training, and pain-irrelevant control).
Half of the people in each condition received positive feedback while the other half did not. Maximal pain relief was associated with two conditions: (1) relaxation plus positive feedback; and (2) cognitive coping skills training plus positive feedback.
In another study of the effects of cognitive coping skills training and pain, Subramanian and Rose (1988) used a cognitive coping skills approach (relaxation training, cognitive restructuring, assertiveness training) to treat 10 adult patients with chronic p...