A STUDY TO ASSESS THE LEVEL OF COPING STRATEGIES AMONG THE PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC DIABETES MELLITUS ADMITTED IN SELECTED HOSPITALS

Introduction: Diabetes specific-distress is defined as emotional distress associated with the ongoing worries, burdens and concerns that occur when managing a demanding chronic disease like diabetes over time.

Methodology: Quantitative Research Approach and Descriptive Research Design were adopted for this study. Totally 200 Chronic Diabetes Mellitus Patients who were attending Medical and Surgical OPD and Inpatients department in selected hospital were selected as sample. Purposive Sampling technique was used to select the samples for this study.

Results: In level of coping158 (79%) of them were belongs to strengthening of coping, 42(21%) of them were belongs to weakening of coping. There is significant difference between the levels of coping strategies with gender in demographic variables. There is significant difference between levels of coping with alternative medicine of clinical variables. There is a significant difference between levels of coping with nature of work of psychosocial variables.

Conclusion: The Health care providers should focus on the psychosocial factors in the treatment regime of the diabetic patient. The mental health practitioners provide interventions for both the patient with diabetes and their families. Health care providers involvement and family members support will helps to improve the coping ability of the patient with diabetes mellitus.