Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness and Methods of Coping with Stress Among Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes

Aim: The present study was performed to evaluate the psychosocial adjustment to illness and methods of coping with stress among young adults with type 1 diabetes.

Method: One hundred twenty-eight patients admitted to the diabetes clinic between August 2012 and January 2013c omprised the sample of this study designed as a cross-sectional and descriptive one. The Descriptive Information Form, Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self Report version (PAIS-SR), and Methods of Coping with Stress Scale were used as data collection tools. Statistical evaluation of the data was performed using descriptive and inferential tests such as the t test, Mann-Whitney U test, one-way analysis of variance and correlation analysis.

Results: Of the patients, 73 % were female, 51.6% were single, 51.6% were university graduates. Their mean age was 28.39±7.25 years. The mean disease duration was 11.81±7.65 years and in 92.2% of the patients the level of HbA1c was ≥6.5%. The results of Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self Report version were related with poor disease adjustment in 99.2 % of the patients. Of the subscales of psychosocial adjustment to illness, the helpless approach was utilized by the females (t = 4:06, p = 0.001), males (t = 1.98, p = 0.04) and singles (t = -1.98; p = 0.04), the self-confi dent approach was utilized by those whose BMI was normal (t = 2.54; p = 0.01), and the social support seeking approach was utilized by the university graduates (F = 3.79, p = 0.02) and those whose BMI was normal (t = 2.48, p = 0.01) more. A signifi cant positive weak correlation was determined between the total score obtained from the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale and the scores obtained from the helpless approach and submissive approach subscales of the Methods of Coping with Stress Scale (p <0.05).

Conclusion: This study demonstrated that nearly all of the patients who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes had poor psychosocial adjustment to their conditions. Especially single women with low education levels were at a greater risk of poor adjustment levels and insuffi cient coping with their diseases.