New study recommends ‘regular supervision’ of patients’ coping methods
Rather than also relying on active coping strategies, like seeking social support or creating positive meaning, patients tended to use only more passive strategies, like denial or simply not dealing with stressful situations and emotions. Such avoidance, however, is associated with increased depression, anxiety, fatigue, and a worse quality of life in MS patients.
“Since the patterns of coping with MS are associated with the components of quality of life and psychosocial health, regular supervision on coping strategies is recommended,” the researchers wrote.
“Working with [people with MS] for adapting the coping strategies and maintaining effective coping patterns can also lead to diminished stress and enhanced adjustment,” they added.
Healthy vs. unhealthy coping strategies
Like other patients with chronic diseases, people with MS develop different types of coping strategies to manage feelings of uncertainty and stress. Coping can be problem-focused, which is aimed at actively changing the nature of a stressful situation, or emotion-focused, which involves managing feelings or reactions to stress.
When a person is able to switch between these types of healthy strategies to deal with different stressors or negative environments, it is referred to as adaptive coping. Other forms of coping that are ineffective or unhealthy in difficult situations are called maladaptive.
“Effective coping strategies protect individuals against cognitive, environmental, and biological factors that cause anxiety,” the researchers wrote.”They are unique to every person and may be different depending on various factors such as age, gender, and cultural issues, among others.”
Various studies have reported links between coping strategies and MS mood symptoms or life quality, but have “reported scattered and inconsistent relationships” between the two, according to the researchers.
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