Development of a questionnaire to evaluate coping strategies for skin problems

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Dermatology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Skin problems significantly impact quality of life.
• Effective coping strategies are crucial for managing chronic skin conditions.
• A validated instrument is needed to assess these coping mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Coping Strategies for Skin Problems Questionnaire (CSSPQ).
• To identify distinct coping strategies used by individuals with general skin problems.
• To explore the psychometric properties of the CSSPQ.

Main Methods:

• Development of the Coping Strategies for Skin Problems Questionnaire (CSSPQ).
• Psychometric evaluation using factor analysis on a sample of 299 individuals.
• Analysis of internal consistency, validity, and coping profiles based on skin damage and healthcare seeking behavior.

Main Results:

• Factor analysis revealed a 6-factor structure for coping strategies (wish to change, problem-solving, information seeking, social support, distancing, positive reframing).
• The CSSPQ demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha > 0.67) and explained 60.77% of the variance.
• Distinct coping profiles were identified correlating with perceived skin damage severity and healthcare utilization.

Conclusions:

• The Coping Strategies for Skin Problems Questionnaire (CSSPQ) is a valid and reliable instrument.
• The CSSPQ can effectively identify diverse coping strategies employed by individuals with skin conditions.
• Findings support the use of the CSSPQ in clinical and research settings for understanding patient adaptation to skin problems.