Social Support as a Mediator in the Relation Between Coping Strategies and Emotional Functioning in Patients With Chronic Illness

Abstract

Chronic illness is a critical life event which requires an individual to adapt to a new life situation. The process of adaptation to the illness may be explained by transactional model of stress. The major open question is if social support (SS) play a role of mediator variable in a relationship between stress coping strategies and emotional functioning in patients with chronic illness. The research group included 647 patients with chronic illness: IHD, DM, RA. Patients were asked to fill out following questionnaires: COPE, CES-D, SWLS, WS. Statistical analyses showed that the patients with chronic illness who scored high in SS are more satisfied with their lives (t=-7,78**;d=1,03) and they are less likely to present symptoms of depression (t=8,13**;d=1,07). Moreover, SS was recognized to be statistically significant mediator in two relationships: relationship between problem-focused coping and life satisfaction (z=5,82;p<0,01;95%CI[0,06;0,15]); relationship between problem-focused coping and depression (z=5,98;p<0,01;95%CI[-0,15;-0,07]). Conducted research provides an evidence that SS play a significant role in the process of coping with chronic illness