Abstract
Objective: This study aims to compare generic coping styles adopted by adolescents suffering from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) to styles used by their healthy peers, and to assess the association between coping styles and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Methods: A generic coping style instrument, a disease-related coping style instrument and a disease-specific HRQoL instrument were administered to 65 adolescents (12–18 years old) with IBD. Normative data from the generic instrument were available. Mean domain scores of IBD patients were compared to normative scores. Multivariate linear regression analyses were performed on models with HRQoL domains as dependent, and preselected demographic and disease-related characteristics and coping styles as independent variables. Results: Adolescents with IBD use more avoidant coping styles than their healthy peers. HRQoL is associated with disease-related coping styles and with disease activity. More use of a predictive coping style (having positive expectations about the disease) and less use of a depressive reaction pattern are associated with better HRQoL in three out of six HRQoL domains. Conclusion: This study suggests an association between coping styles and HRQoL.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Griffiths AM, Buller HB. Inflammatory bowel disease. In: Walker WA, Durie PR, Hamilton JR, et al. (eds), Pediatric Gastrointestinal Disease, 3rd ed. Hamilton, Canada: B.C. Decker Inc.; 2000; 613-652.
Engström I. Mental health and psychological functioning in children and adolescents with Inflammatory bowel disease: A comparison with children having other chronic illnesses and with healthy children. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 1992; 33(3): 563-582.
Burke P, Meyer V, Kocoshis S, et al. Depression and anxiety in pediatric Inflammatory bowel disease and cystic fibrosis. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1989; 28(6): 948-951.
Burke P, Kocoshis SA, Chandra R, et al. Determinants of depression in recent onset pediatric Inflammatory bowel disease. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 1990; 29(4): 608-610.
Raymer D, Weiniger O, Hamilton JR. Psychological problems in children with abdominal pain. Lancet 1984; 1(8374): 439-440.
Testa MA, Simonson DC. Assessment of quality-of-life outcomes. N Engl J Med 1996; 334(13): 835-840.
Loonen HJ, Grootenhuis MA, Last BF, et al. Quality of life in paediatric Inflammatory bowel disease measured by a generic and a disease-specific questionnaire. Acta Paediatrica 2002; 91(3): 348-354.
Guyatt GH, Jaeschke R. Measurements in clinical trials: Choosing the appropriate approach. In: Spilker B (ed), Quality of Life Assessments in Clinical Trials. New York: Raven Press, 1990; 37-46.
Loonen HJ, Grootenhuis MA, Last BF, et al. Measuring quality of life in children with Inflammatory bowel disease: The Impact-II (NL). Qual Life Res 2002; 11(1): 47-56.
Boekaerts M, Roder I. Stress, coping and adjustment in children with a chronic disease; A review of the literature. Disabil Rehabil 1999; 21(7): 311-337.
Lazarus RS, Folkman S. Stress, Appraisal and Coping. New York: Springer Publishing Company, 1984.
de Ridder D, Schreurs K. Developing interventions for chronically ill patients: Is coping a helpful concept? Clin Psychol Rev 2001; 21(2): 205-240.
Frijda NH. The Emotions. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 1986.
Last BF, Grootenhuis MA. Emotions, coping and the need for support in families of children with cancer: A model for psychosocial care. Patient Edu Counsel 1998; 33(2): 169-179.
Folkman S. Personal control and stress and coping processes: A theoretical analysis. J Pers Soc Psychol 1984; 45: 839-852.
Rothbaum F, Weisz JR, Snyder SS. Changing the world and changing the self: A two-process model of perceived control. J Pers Soc Psychol 1982; 42(1): 5-37.
Grootenhuis MA, Last BF, de Graaf-Nijkerk JH, van der Wel M. Secondary control strategies used by parents of children with cancer. Psycho-Oncol 1996; 5(2): 91-102.
Grootenhuis MA, Last BF. Children with cancer with different survival perspectives: Defensiveness, control strategies, and psychological adjustment. Psycho-Oncol 2001; 10(4): 305-314.
Schreurs PJG, Tellegen B, Van de Willige G. Gezondheid, stress en coping: de ontwikkeling van de Utrechtse Coping Lijst. Tijdschr Psychol 1984; (12): 101-117.
Loonen HJ, Griffiths AM, Merkus MP, Derkx HH. A critical assessment of items on the pediatric Crohn's disease activity index. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 2003; 36(1): 90-95.
Bijstra JO, Jackson S, Bosma HA. De Utrechtse Coping Lijst voor Adolescenten. Kind Adolescent 1994; 15(2): 98-109.
Altman DG. Practical Statistics for Medical Research. London: Chapman & Hall, 1991.
Meijer SA, Sinnema G, Bijstra JO, et al. Social functioning in children with a chronic illness. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2000; 41(3): 309-317.
Patterson GR, Forgatch MS. Predicting future clinical adjustment from treatment outcome and process variables. Psychol Assessm 1995; 7(3): 275-285.
Folkman S, Moskowitz JT. Positive affect and the other side of coping. Am Psychol 2000; 55(6): 647-654.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
van der Zaag-Loonen, H., Grootenhuis, M., Last, B. et al. Coping Strategies and Quality of Life of Adolescents with Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Qual Life Res 13, 1011–1019 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:QURE.0000025598.89003.0c
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:QURE.0000025598.89003.0c