Stress, Coping Strategies and Quality of Life Among Patients With Chronic Conditions: Implications of Stress Management Program

Previous studies indicated that patients with diabetes mellitus and hypertension had higher level of perceived stress, used maladaptive coping strategies and poor health-related quality of life. Therefore, stress management program was applied to reduce their perceived stress, improve their coping strategies, improve their health-related quality of life and psychological health of the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension in current study. The main objectives of the current study were to observe the effects of stress management program on perceived stress, coping strategies and health-related quality of life using pre-experimental research design. Patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 and hypertension were selected through purposive sampling technique to apply the eclectic approach of the stress management program. Total 110 patients with type 2 diabetes and hypertension completed the program from 114 patients who gave inform consent for participation in the first session. Perceived stress scale, WHOQOL and Coping strategies questionnaire were administered at the pre and post-levels of the program. Further, base line of targeted domains variables was also filled from the participants at pre, mid and post-levels to access the efficacy of the program which was formulated according to previous research data by the researcher. The stress Management program consisted of 10 session which were delivered to eight groups (diabetic and Hypertensive) in five weeks. Each session had the duration 90 minutes and two sessions were conducted in one week.