Psychological distress and coping in sickle cell disease: comparison of British and Jamaican attitudes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate possible differences in coping mechanisms in the painful crisis between Jamaican and London patients with homozygous sickle cell disease.


METHODS
Patients recruited from two London hospitals and the MRC Laboratories (Jamaica) at the University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica were assessed using a questionnaire design. Patients with homozygous sickle cell disease were included, 30 in London and 30 in Jamaica.


RESULTS
Jamaican patients in Jamaica had less general anxiety, a lower emotional response to pain, lower levels of perceived pain, and felt better able to decrease their pain. London patients believed that the disease had a more marked effect on their quality of life.


CONCLUSIONS
Understanding the differences between patients' response to pain and their coping ability between Jamaican and UK patients may have important lessons for evolving effective management in the UK.
Thomas
V J
VJ
Unit of Psychology, United Medical & Dental Schools of Guy's, Kings & St Thomas, St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
Hambleton
I
I
Serjeant
G
G
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007563:Jamaica / Q000453:epidemiology; D008131:London / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D010146:Pain / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011788:Quality of Life; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires