COPING STRATEGIES DURING CHRONIC ILLNESS

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF CARDIAC AND RENAL FAILURE PATIENTS

Abstract

Introduction: Pakistan is a developing country where the majority of the population
belongs to the lower socioeconomic class. Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular and kidney
diseases are increasing day by day in Pakistan. Individuals suffering from chronic illnesses are at
a greater risk of problems as compared to the un-sick. Their vulnerable situation and the stress
of the event creates a lot of changes, changing the meaning of individual lives altogether. To
understand the dynamics of chronic illnesses, it is important to find out what coping strategies
were used by the cardiac and renal failure patients? Objectives: The researchers tried to find
out whether cardiac and renal failure patients differ in their coping strategies. Study Design:
Quantitative cross sectional study. Period: August 2014. Setting: The data was collected from
the Dialysis Units of Mayo Hospital, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore General Hospital and all admitted
patients of Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore. These four hospitals have good turn-over of
the patients. Materials and Methods: Purposive sampling method was used in this study. For
the collection of quantitative data, a hospital-based survey was conducted by using a structured
interview schedule. 275 patients (131-cardiac and 144-renal failure) including 184 males and
91 females between age of 20 to 110 years were interviewed. Mean age was 44 years (S.D
= 15.338). T-Test for independent groups and Pearson’s correlation tests were carried out to
compare cardiac and renal failure patients coping strategies along with descriptive statistics.
Results: Results indicate that renal failure patients used more physical coping (M = 11.23), t (df
= 273) = -1.235, p<.01 that cardiac patients (M = 10.83), t(df = 273) = -1.242, p<.01. Cardiac
patients used more psychological (M = 28.69), t(df = 273) = 1.511,p<.01and behavioral coping
(M = 17.37), t(df = 273) = 3.977,p<.01 than renal failure patients psychological(M = 27.97),
t(df = 273) = -1.517,p<.01 and behavioral coping(M = 15.43), t(df = 273) = 3.980,p<.01. F =
11.800.1.882, and 0.623 which are greater (i.e., p<.05). Pearson’s Product-moment correlation
coefficient show strong correlation exists between behavioral and psychological coping (r =
.428). Conclusions: Study found significant differences between the cardiac and renal failure
patients coping strategies. Renal failure patients used physical coping strategies more whereas
cardiac patients used more psychological and behavioral coping strategies.