An Exploration of Coping Styles in Type 2 Diabetic Patients and their Association with Demographic Factors

Aim: Diabetes mellitus and the patients’ need for self-care may bring several challenges in the daily life of diabetic patients. This necessitates the obligation to adopt coping strategies against stress in order to adjust with the governing conditions. The purpose of this study was to explore coping styles in type 2 diabetic patients and their potential associations with demographic factors. Methods: In this descriptive-analytic study, 201 patients with type 2 diabetes were incorporated from the Tehran-based Dornian Care Clinic and evaluated using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Data analysis was performed using SPSS software (ver. 16) at the significance level of 0.05. Findings: The diabetic patients in this study adopted avoidant (72.1%), emotion-oriented (17.9%), and problem-based (10%) coping strategies. While problem-oriented and emotion-oriented strategies correlated with gender, avoidant style did not. Married individuals used avoidant strategies more than singles. There was a significant relationship only between the use of problem-solving strategies and education level. Also there was a significant relationship between the complications of diabetes and adoption of problem-oriented strategies. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, diabetic patients have hard times in the face of stresses of life events and the subsequent challenges of their disease. Counseling seems beneficial in order for effective teaching of coping strategies to diabetic patients.