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Can illness perceptions and coping predict psychological distress amongst allergy sufferers?
1Psychology, University of Derby, UK. r.c.knibb@derby.ac.uk
British Journal of Health Psychology
|May 31, 2007
Summary
Illness perceptions and coping strategies significantly impact psychological distress in allergy sufferers. Understanding these factors can guide interventions to improve well-being and manage allergy-related stress.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Psychology
- Medical Sociology
Background:
- Psychological distress is a common issue for individuals managing chronic conditions like allergies.
- Illness perceptions and coping mechanisms are recognized as key factors influencing mental health outcomes in patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between illness perceptions and coping strategies with psychological distress levels in allergy sufferers.
- To determine the extent to which these factors explain variance in psychological distress.
Main Methods:
- A postal survey was administered to 156 allergy sufferers.
- Validated instruments including the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire (IPQ-R), COPE, General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) were used.
Main Results:
- Illness perceptions explained 6-26% of distress variance; coping strategies explained 12-25%.
- Negative illness identity and emotional representations correlated with higher distress, while strong personal control beliefs correlated with lower distress.
- Adaptive coping strategies (e.g., positive reinterpretation) were linked to lower distress, and maladaptive strategies (e.g., venting emotions) to higher distress.
Conclusions:
- Illness perceptions and coping strategies play a significant role in psychological distress among allergy sufferers.
- Interventions should target modifying negative illness perceptions (identity, emotional representations) and promoting adaptive coping mechanisms and a sense of control.
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