Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Gumuchian, Stephanie T.
• Peláez, Sandra
• Delisle, Vanessa C.
• Carrier, Marie-Eve
• Jewett, Lisa R.
• El-Baalbaki, Ghassan
• Fortune, Catherine
• Hudson, Marie
• Körner, Annett
• Kwakkenbos, Linda
• Bartlett, Susan J.
• Thombs, Brett D.

Titel

Understanding coping strategies among people living with scleroderma: a focus group study

Ist Teil von

• Disability and rehabilitation, 2018-12, Vol.40 (25), p.3012-3021

Ort / Verlag

England: Taylor & Francis

Erscheinungsjahr

2018

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• Purpose: Systemic sclerosis or scleroderma is a chronic, rare connective tissue disease with negative physical and psychological implications. Coping strategies used by scleroderma patients have not been studied in-depth. The objective of the present study was to gain a greater understanding of the coping strategies employed by people living with scleroderma. Method: Three semi-structured focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 22 people with scleroderma. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using content analysis. Coping strategies discussed were analyzed through Lazarus and Folkman's theoretical model of coping, including: (1) problem-focused, (2) emotion-focused, and (3) meaning-focused coping. Results: Participants reported using a combination of problem-focused (e.g., professional help; seeking disease-related information), emotion-focused (e.g., social support; adaptive distraction techniques), and meaning-focused coping strategies (e.g., benefit finding; goal reappraisal) to help them to cope with and manage their disease. However, many patients reported having difficulty in accessing support services. Conclusions: Scleroderma patients use similar coping strategies as patients with more common diseases, but they may not have access to the same level of support services. Accessible interventions, including self-management programs, aimed at improving problem- and emotion-focused coping are needed. Further, increased access to support groups may provide patients with opportunities to obtain social support and enhance coping.