The Role of Coping Strategies in Overcoming Goal-related Obstacles in Patients with Diabetes: An Exploratory Study

Diabetes represents a potential chronic source of obstacles that interfere with the achievement of goals in the areas of weight maintenance, diet, glycemia, work, exercise, and overall quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate how patients with type I and II diabetes manage such obstacles and what role their coping strategies play in relation to action crisis.

In a cross-sectional design, 70 patients completed a questionnaire measuring diabetes-interfered goals, goal progression, frequency and intensity of obstacles, the Action Crisis Scale, the Brief COPE Inventory, self-efficacy, and negative emotions.

The sample showed higher mean action crisis scores (M = 3.78) than healthy populations in other research. Problem-focused strategies (active problem solving, planning, seeking support) were the most used, followed by emotional strategies (emotional support, acceptance), while dysfunctional strategies (alcohol/substance use, behavioral escape) were used the least.

Obstacle frequency was not directly related to action crisis but was correlated with negative emotions (r = 0.47, p < 0.001). In turn, negative emotions were related to obstacle frequency (r = 0.39, p < 0.01), suggesting the potential for negative emotions to mediate the relationship between action crisis and obstacle frequency. Dysfunctional coping strategies also showed a positive relationship with action crisis (r =0.46, p < 0.001).

Interventions for patients with diabetes should (a) reduce the frequency of goal obstacles, (b) train negative emotion regulation, (c) maintain and celebrate goal progress to increase goal self-efficacy, and (d) not only reinforce adaptive coping strategies but, more importantly, suppress dysfunctional strategies.