title: ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿Coping Strategies Used By Patients With Chronic and/or Complex Wounds ﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿﻿.
abstract: ﻿Objective. The aim of this study was to investigate coping strategies used by patients with chronic and/or complex wounds treated in an outpatient wound clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Coping strategies were assessed using the Utrecht Coping List (UCL). The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) was used to assess the patient's cognitive functioning. Fifty patients were selected for this study. The wound etiologies studied were: diabetic foot ulcers, lower extremity ulcers, surgical wounds, trauma wounds, and pressure ulcers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Scores on the coping measure for men and women differed significantly from the control groups. It was also found that each wound etiology showed a preference toward different coping strategies. Furthermore, 28% of the studied group had a lowered score on the MMSE, indicating possible cognitive impairments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There might be an association between wound etiology and the coping strategy that is preferred; this knowledge could be used to guide treatment strategies used by clinicians. Further research could focus on the effects of coping strategies on wound healing rates ﻿﻿﻿.
authors.affiliation: ﻿Afd. Wondcentrum, Simon Smitweg, The Netherlands; Email: jorivermeiden@gmail.com.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vermeiden
authors.forename: L P V
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Doorn
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Da Costa
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Kaptein
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Steenvoorde