Mental adjustment, coping strategies, and psychological distress among end-stage renal disease patients.
OBJECTIVE
The study examines the association between mental adjustment, coping strategies [emotion (EF) and problem focused (PF)], and psychological distress.


METHODS
Sixty end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients were interviewed a year or more after they began dialysis, measured by the COPE, Mental Adjustment to Cancer (MAC), and Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) scales.


RESULTS
The main findings indicate that patients with a strong fighting spirit are in less psychological distress. Moreover, patients who tend to use PF strategies rely on a fighting spirit as an adjustment coping style.


CONCLUSIONS
ESRD patients in the adjustment phase (patients diagnosed at least 1 year previously) tend to struggle to lead as normal a life as possible despite the dependency caused by the illness.
Gilbar
Ora
O
School of Social Work, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel. ogilbar@research.haifa.ac.il
Or-Han
Keren
K
Plivazky
Nirit
N
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D011340:Problem Solving; D013315:Stress, Psychological