Hypotheses two and three were concerned with the

proportion of variability in survival that can be accounted

for by (a) psychosocial variables and (b) the combined

effects of psychosocial variables and co-morbidity. Both

hypotheses were tested for the sample of patients interviewed

through regression analyses using the log value of the

survival quotient as the dependent variable and the selected

psychosocial variables and co-morbidity as the independent

variables.

Disease variables and psychosocial status

 The independent variables. The relationship between

three disease variables and selected psychosocial variables

was studied by correlating three disease variables, two

developed during the study, with the 13 vulnerability scales

and total vulnerability. These variables are listed in

Table 12.



Table 12


Disease Characteristics Used as Independent Variables


 Variables


Co-morbidity

Duration of time since diagnosis

Closeness to death

Note. All independent variables listed were continuous.