[Style of coping with stress and emotional functioning in patients with asthma].
BACKGROUND
The evaluation of styles of coping with stress resulting from a somatic disease was always considered controversial, since the stress is a consequence of the complexity of the disease as a stressful event and is linked with every field of human life and activity. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of various styles of coping with stress - task-oriented, emotion-oriented, or avoidance-oriented - used by patients with asthma to cope with their disease and its consequences.


METHODS
100 patients with asthma were examined including 15 with mild asthma, 40 with moderate asthma, and 45 with severe asthma. The first group consisted of patients with mild-to-moderate asthma and the second group of patients with severe asthma. The subjects were mainly females (69% women, 31% men) aged from 19 to 75 years, with at least primary level of education. The following questionnaires were used: Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), UWIST Mood Adjective Check List (UMACL), and Asthma Control Test (ACT).


RESULTS
Task-oriented style had a positive influence on emotions (p < 0.05) in patients with moderate asthma. Avoidance-oriented style had a positive influence on emotions (p < 0.05) in patients with severe asthma. Emotion-oriented style proved ineffective and had a negative influence on emotions (p < 0.05) in all patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Coping style plays a key role in the emotional functioning of asthmatics. Moreover, incorporation of an individual style of coping with stress in the therapeutic process is necessary.
Lewandowska
Katarzyna
K
Klinika Pneumonologii Katedry Pneumonologii i Alergologii Akademii Medycznej w Gdańsku. klewandowska@amg.gda.pl
Specjalski
Krzysztof
K
Jassem
Ewa
E
Słomiński
Jan Marek
JM
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011044:Poland; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012917:Social Adjustment; D012944:Social Support; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult