Coping Styles of Patients Hospitalized in an Intermediate Trauma Unit

Effective coping with the physical and mental changes experienced after traumatic injury decreases stress, reduces complications, and promotes healing. Although there are many studies of coping in medical patients, there is little research concerning the coping styles of patients hospitalized in trauma units. This study aimed to achieve two main objectives: (1) adapt the Vignette Similarity Rating Method for implementation in a Puerto Rican trauma unit, and (2) describe the coping styles of patients admitted to the unit, exploring their association with sociodemographic, clinical, and situational factors.

Patients hospitalized in a trauma unit were recruited. Nine patients participated in the adaptation process (33% women, 67% men; mean age 37.75), while in the coping assessment phase 43 patients were included (41.9% women, 58.1% men; mean age 39.5). The culturally and contextually adapted Vignette Similarity Rating Method was employed to depict and evaluate coping strategies. Associations between two adaptive coping styles, three less adaptive coping styles, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the participants, and length of hospital stay were determined.

Participants reported a higher level of similarity with adaptive coping vignettes (median=18.0), followed by active coping vignettes (median=14.0). Individuals living with diabetes (p = .006) and those experiencing longer hospital stays (p = .018) reported a greater similarity to less effective Type A coping vignettes.

These findings emphasize the importance of considering the effectiveness of coping styles within specific contexts and to developing interventions that promote adaptive coping strategies, especially for patients facing prolonged hospitalization.