PREDICTORS OF PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT IN SYSTEMIC-SCLEROSIS - THE INFLUENCE OF FORMAL EDUCATION LEVEL, FUNCTIONAL ABILITY, HARDINESS, UNCERTAINTY, AND SOCIAL SUPPORT

Objective. To determine predictors of psychosocial adjustment in patie nts with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Methods. We surveyed 94 patients wi th SSc. Age, sex, education level, marital status, work status, income , support group attendance, length of time since diagnosis, functional status, social support, illness-related uncertainty, and hardiness we re examined as potential predictors of psychosocial adjustment. The re liability and validity of the instruments used to measure these variab les have been established. Results. Only education level, functional a bility, illness-related uncertainty, hardiness, and social support wer e predictive of psychosocial adjustment. Education level and functiona l ability explained 14% of the variance in psychosocial adjustment, wh ile illness-related uncertainty, hardiness, and social support increas ed the explained variance to 38%. Conclusion. Although patients with r elatively poorer psychosocial adjustment to illness have lower formal education levels and more functional disability, the majority of the e xplained variance in psychosocial adjustment is ascribable to illness- related uncertainty, low level of hardiness, and less satisfaction wit h social support.