Features of the subjective relation to an illness and coping-behavior of the patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 preparing for coronary bypass surgery

In this article the analysis of the relation to an illness and coping-behavior of patients with diabetes of the type 2 preparing for coronary bypass surgery is presented. Research included 53 patients ranging in age from 51 to 77 years who planned to have coronary bypass surgery. 16 patients among them had diabetes. A clinical psychologist carried out the assessment of the psychological status of patients at a preliminary stage of preparation for the surgery, on the 2 or 3 day after a patient's admission to the hospital, in the first half of day. Psychological diagnostics was carried out using the following measures: "type of the relation to an illness" by Lichko, "strategies of coping-behaviour" by Lazarus, and scales of a depression by Beck. In the studied group significant interrelations between the subjective relation to an illness and a coping-strategy choice were found. Research showed that the patients with diabetes of the 2nd type presented socially and emotionally focused strategies to overcome a stressful situation which was expressed in seeking help from the others and in positive revaluation of the situation. The patients with diabetes of the 2nd type having the positive relation to an illness less frequently used avoidance strategies while preparing for coronary bypass surgery, and with the negative relation to an illness they were exposed to depression more often and they were less effective in controlling their emotions. The patients who didn't have diabetes of the 2nd type with the positive relation to an illness considered the forthcoming surgery more optimistically; the patients with the negative relation to an illness were engaged in scheduling less often, they controlled their emotional state and took responsibility for their decisions. When encountering a stressful situation the patient with diabetes of the 2nd type tended to ask their relatives or acquaintances for a piece of advice, they were seeking for emotional support or help in dealing with the problem. In addition, they tended to overcome the stressful situation through its philosophical reinterpretation that allows a deeper psychotherapeutic work with them. With the "positive" relation to an illness such patients tended to use functional coping-strategies, and with the "negative" relation to an illness they tended to use dysfunctional coping-strategies. These results can be taken into account in forecasting purposes, and in the development of programs of medical and psychological support to patients with combined pathology of the described character in the pre- and postoperative period.

Keywords

Authors

References