COPING WITH GENERAL AND DISEASE-RELATED STRESSORS BY PATIENTS WITH MULTIPLE-SCLEROSIS - RELATIONSHIPS TO PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRESS

This study examined the relationships between coping styles and psycho logical distress in a non-institutionalized sample of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). The MS sample completed a measure of psychol ogical distress and identified coping strategies utilized for stressor s that were disease-related and general in nature. They also self-repo rted their Perceived efficacy of the coping strategies utilized for bo th stressors. Individuals with MS exhibited greater levels of depressi on and other indices of psychological distress than demographically ma tched controls but the patterns of coping strategies endorsed and the ratings of coping effectiveness were similar for the two groups. When coping with disease-related stressors, individuals with MS utilized co ping strategies that were more emotion-focused and dependent but no le ss effective than when the same patients coped with general stressors. Within the MS group, high levels of psychological distress were posit ively correlated with the use of emotion-focused coping strategies, bu t were unrelated to the use of Problem-focused strategies. Most indivi duals with MS appear to be able to modify their coping strategies to a dapt to varying sorts of stressors.