A pilot investigation of illness representations and coping in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and their relationship with quality of life
This study investigates the relationship between illness representations, coping strategies and the quality of life domains of anxiety, depression, activity levels and psychosocial functioning in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Leventhal's Self Regulation Model is used as a theoretical framework. Twenty - six people with COPD completed a series of questionnaires and a semi - structured interview. The sample was found to have high levels of anxiety, lowered activity levels and reduced psychosocial functioning. The illness representations of the sample could be characterised as a high illness identity, a chronic time line, a perception of serious consequences, a perception of multiple causes and a lack of control over the illness. These representations would all be expected to cause distress. In common with other chronic illnesses, emotion focused coping strategies were most commonly used. Regression models were produced for the outcome variables of anxiety, depression, activity levels and psychosocial functioning. Independent variables were demographic and disease variables, illness representations and coping strategies. It was hypothesised that illness representations and coping would explain more of the variance in the outcome measures than demographic and disease variables. Only one of the four hypotheses relating to the regression analyses was upheld. Nevertheless, it would seem that illness representations and coping strategies . may be important in the understanding of what influences outcome in COPD, and are worthy of further study. The clinical implications of the findings are discussed, and suggestions made for future research
