Coping, control, and adjustment in Type 2 diabetes

The relationships of both coping strategies and perceived control to psychological and physiological adjustment were investigated in 115 adults (65 women, 50 men) with Type 2 diabetes. Results showed that (a) emotional preoccupation and palliative coping were positively correlated with depression and state anxiety, whereas perceived control was negatively correlated with depression, state anxiety, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c); (b) instrumental coping predicted lower depression; (c) perceived control moderated the relationships between instrumental coping and depression, and emotional preoccupation coping and HbA1c; and (d) emotional preoccupation coping mediated the relationships between perceived control and depression, and perceived control and state anxiety. Results are discussed in terms of the goodness-of-fit hypothesis (V. J. Conway & D. J. Terry, 1992), optimal coping, and the importance of perceived control in psychological and physiological adjustment.