Spanish adaptation of the Coping through Emotional Approach Scale (EAC)

Recent research reveals that coping through emotional approach (EAC) can promote well-being and health. Stanton, Kirk, Cameron y Danoff-Burg (2000) have developed the EAC scale to assess this type of coping. This paper presents data on the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the EAC scale in a sample of 57 women in follow-up phase for breast cancer. Moreover, the study examines the moderating role of social receptivity (SR) between EAC and distress. The results of the exploratory factor analysis confirmed the two-factor structure proposed by the authors, and the study of internal consistency indicated highly satisfactory values. In addition, the EAC scale shows a high correspondence with the Courtauld Emotional Control Scale (CEC), as well as an improvement in the prediction of clinical distress upon consideration of the Mini Mental Adjustment to Cancer scale (MiniMAC). The SR did not have a modulating effect. We conclude that the Spanish version of the EAC scale emerges as a promising instrument to assess the adaptive emotional coping for cancer patients.