A prospective examination of illness beliefs and coping in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

The results demonstrate that illness representations are direct predictors of both coping cognitions and coping behaviours in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, coping cognitions and coping behaviours appear to be distinct mechanisms that operate independently. The findings suggest that rather than manipulating patients' coping cognitions to improve patients' health behaviours it may be beneficial to focus on their beliefs about diabetes.