Psychological adjustment of adults with sickle cell anemia: stability over 20 months, correlates, and predictors.
The stability of psychological adjustment was assessed across three time points spanning a 20-month period with 59 African-American adults with sickle cell anemia. Stable good adjustment was associated with lower levels of daily and illness-related stress, palliative methods of coping with stress, and pain coping strategies characterized by negative thinking/passive adherence. With baseline levels of illness and demographic parameters controlled, baseline levels of daily and illness-related stress made significant independent contributions to adjustment at 20 months follow-up. The findings are discussed in relation to the potential utility of improving methods of coping with stress and pain to enhance the adjustment of patients with sickle cell anemia.
Thompson
R J
RJ
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
Gil
K M
KM
Abrams
M R
MR
Phillips
G
G
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000523:psychology*; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012803:Sick Role