The Style of Coping with Stress, the Health-Related Locus of Control, and the Level of Mindfulness of Patients with Chronic Somatic Diseases in Comparison to Healthy People

• Published in: Healthcare (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 9; p. 1752
• Main Authors: Gruszczyńska, Magdalena, Bąk-Sosnowska, Monika, Daniel-Sielańczyk, Anna, Wyszomirska, Julia, Modrzejewska, Adriana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 12.09.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: Adaptation; Care and treatment; Chronic illnesses; Coping; Coping (Psychology); Disease; Drug therapy; Health aspects; Locus of control; Methods; Mindfulness; Mindfulness meditation; Patients; Questionnaires; Somatoform disorders; Stress; Stress management; Poland; healthy people; health locus of control; stress coping; chronic disease; mindfulness; psychological factors
• ISSN: 2227-9032; 2227-9032
• DOI: 10.3390/healthcare10091752

Background: Psychological factors may be involved in both the development and treatment of somatic diseases. Our study aimed to evaluate the style of coping with stress, health-related locus of control, and level of mindfulness of adult patients with the most common chronic somatic diseases compared with healthy subjects. Methods: 502 chronically ill people were examined (M = 49.27; SD = 14.25), including 288 women and 214 men. The control group consisted of 117 healthy people (M = 45.66; SD = 17.86). The diagnostic survey involved using the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC), and Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS). Results: Differences between the clinical and control groups were demonstrated for MHLC: Internal (p < 0.001), Powerful Others (p < 0.05), and Chance (p < 0.001); CISS: Task (p < 0.001) and Avoidance (p < 0.05); and MAAS (p < 0.01). Conclusion: People with chronic somatic diseases, compared to healthy people, have a stronger external and weaker internal health-related locus of control, lower level of task and avoidance style for coping with stress, and lower level of mindfulness.