Do urban and rural residents living in Poland differ in their ways of coping with chronic diseases?

M. Ziarko, E. Mojs, Ł.D. Kaczmarek, K. Warchol-Biedermann, R. Malak, P. Lisinski, W. Samborski

Department of Psychology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland. zakpsych@ump.edu.pl

---

• Psychology

OBJECTIVE: Chronic disease is a critical life event which demands significant psychological adjustment. Coping strategies and resources such as sense of coherence, self-efficacy, etc. remain factors affecting stress response.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The examined group included patients with ischemic heart disease (n = 134), type 1 diabetes mellitus (n = 109) or rheumatoid arthritis (n = 92). 159 patients came from urban area whereas 176 came from rural setting. All patients filled up inventories of life satisfaction, severity of depression, coping strategies, self-efficacy, social support and sense of coherence.

RESULTS: The analysis showed that patients from rural areas had higher levels of well-being i.e. were characterized by lower severity of depression. The predictors of satisfaction with life included two types of resources i.e. self-efficacy, social support and two coping strategies i.e. turning to religion and self-distraction (R2 = 0.39; F = 26.87**). Life satisfaction was determined by social support, sense of coherence and positive reappraisal (R2 = 0.36; F = 29.11**).

CONCLUSIONS: Rural/urban differences in the use of coping strategies may be associated with environmental or lifestyle differences. Patients with IHD, T1D or RA in Polish rural areas are high risk for depression so they may need help in finding systematic contact with specialists of healthcare.

Free PDF Download