COPING WITH TREATMENT-RELATED STRESS - EFFECTS ON PATIENT ADHERENCE IN HEMODIALYSIS

With a modified version of the Ways of Coping Checklist, the relation of coping to adherence among 57 hemodialysis patients was examined. Th e association of a particular type of coping to adherence was predicte d to depend on the specific type of stressful encounter being consider ed. As predicted, coping efforts involving planful problem solving wer e associated with more favorable adherence when used in response to st ressors involving a relatively controllable aspect of the hemodialysis context. For less controllable stressors, coping efforts involving em otional self-control were associated with more favorable adherence. Th e seeking of informational support in response to an uncontrollable en counter was associated with poorer fluid-intake adherence. Confrontive coping was associated with poorer adherence for both high- and low-co ntrol situations.