Coping Styles Among Diabetic Patients

Diabetic patients face many challenges related to their illness and treatment in their life. So they need to use coping strategies for adjustment. The purpose of this study was determined the coping styles among diabetic Iranian patients. Methods and Materials: In a case-control study, 100 consecutive diabetic patients admitted to Amin and Sedigheh Taherah Medical Centers, Isfahan, were selected based on the inclusive and exclusive criteria and compared with one hundred normal people who selected from general population. Data collected by using demographic questionnaire, the Jalowiec Coping Scale, then MANCOVA and co-variance were used to analyze the data. Difference between two groups in coping styles were significant (F=2.835, p=0.005). Significant differences was in supportant coping style (F=11.204, p=0.001). There was no significant difference in other coping styles between two groups. It seems that the diabetic patients likely differ from normal people only in supportant coping style when deal with daily stress. But they are similar to normal people in other coping styles. In addition, both groups use problem solving styles when deal with daily stress. The findings emphasis the role of illness representation to determine coping styles.