Lecture 6.2: Coping with Illness and Treatment

Question 1

What is Coping?

Answer 1

“The process of managing stressors that have been appraised as taxing or exceeding a person’s resources. The efforts to manage environmental and internal demands”

Question 2

What should effective coping do?

Answer 2

Effective coping should reduce the intensity and/or duration of the stressor or maintain psychosocial equilibrium

Question 3

What is Chronic Illness?

Answer 3

A chronic condition is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time (>3months)

Question 4

What do patients have to cope with? (14)

Answer 4

1) Diagnosis
2) Emotional response – shock, anxiety, denial, anger
3) Chronic illness
4) Physical impact
5) Anxiety, discomfort, impact on body image, etc.
6) Possible removal from usual support network
7) Morbidity & mortality
8) Pain
9) Restricted mobility: housing issues
10) Hospitalisation
11) Loss of autonomy, privacy, status
12) Treatment
13) Financial problems
14) Relationship problems

Question 5

What do friends and family of the patients also have to cope with?

Answer 5

• Diagnosis
• Altered lifestyle
• Sick parent
• Becoming a caregiver, sudden dependency
• Relationship impact

Question 6

Chronic Illness Trajectory Model (8 Steps)

Answer 6

1) Illness Onset (Diagnosis)
2) Stability (Symptoms)
3) Instability (Treatment/Symptoms Change)
4) Acute Phase (Sick/Hospitalisation)
5) Crisis (Life-Threatening)
6) Come Back (Some Recovery)
7) Deterioration (Moving Towards Death)
8) Dying (Actively Dying)

Question 7

What is the Crisis Theory?

Answer 7

It predicts that the closer the intervention is to the crisis, the greater the success of the intervention

Question 8

2 Main Styles of Approaching Coping with Illness?

Answer 8

• Problem-Focused: Taking action to reduce demands, aimed at the stressor, it is
more about taking practical action, such as information seeking
• Emotion-Focused: Managing the emotions, aimed at reducing the emotions that
arise from that stressor

Question 9

Successful Coping (7)

Answer 9

• Tolerating, or adjusting to, negative events
• Reducing threat appraisals
• Enhanced prospect of recovery
• Preparation for the future
• Maintenance of positive self-image
• Satisfying relationships
• Good quality of life