Psychological Flexibility, Coping Styles, and Mood Among Individuals With Cystic Fibrosis

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Psychological flexibility is an emerging factor in psychological functioning.
• Cystic Fibrosis (CF) management requires adaptability due to its chronic and complex nature.
• Aging CF populations face evolving health challenges necessitating psychological resilience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between psychological flexibility and negative affectivity in adults with CF.
• To explore how coping styles and psychological grit relate to psychological flexibility and negative affect.
• To determine if psychological flexibility is a significant predictor of reduced anxiety and depressive symptoms in CF.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data from randomized trials involving adults with CF.
• Regression models were employed to assess associations, controlling for demographic and clinical variables.
• Key variables included psychological flexibility, coping styles, psychological grit, and negative affectivity (anxiety and depressive symptoms).

Main Results:

• Elevated levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms were observed in the study population.
• Higher psychological flexibility, characterized by less cognitive fusion and greater psychological acceptance, was associated with lower negative affect.
• Psychological flexibility emerged as the strongest correlate of negative affect, independent of other coping mechanisms and pulmonary function.

Conclusions:

• Psychological flexibility is significantly associated with decreased negative affect in individuals with cystic fibrosis.
• This association holds true irrespective of participants' background characteristics and clinical status.
• Findings underscore the therapeutic potential of enhancing psychological flexibility in CF patient care.