The assessment of the transdiagnostic factors within the self-regulatory model in hypertensive and diabetic patients: The mediating role of coping and emotion regulation

Within the framework of the Self-Regulatory Model, this study investigates the relationships between illness representations and emotion regulation, coping mechanisms, and adverse mental health outcomes for people with chronic illness. The research aims to examine how perceived illness threats affect mental health outcomes and determine if there are any mechanisms that mediate this relationship. A total of 307 individuals (207 women and 100 men) with diabetes, hypertension, and diabetes-hypertension co-diagnosis took part in the study. In addition, a qualitative study was conducted with a limited sample of participants using semi-structured interviews. The participants also completed the Inventory for Coping with Stressful Situations, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the Sociodemographic Characteristics and Data Form, the Brief Symptom Inventory Depression, Anxiety, and Somatization subscales, and the Brief Illness Perception Scale. The path analysis model, which investigated the mediation role of coping and emotion regulation, was implemented using the R Studio. According to the findings, participants' illness representations predict depression, anxiety, and somatization symptoms. As the participants' perceived threat of their illness worsens, depression, anxiety, and somatization symptoms also worsen. Path analysis findings suggest the mediating role of emotion-focused and problem-focused coping between illness representations and depression and anxiety symptoms. To analyze the data from semi-structured interviews, the Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) approach was used. Based on the data obtained from the interviews, three main themes were identified. These themes are "Patient identity after diagnosis", "Psychosocial challenges and sources of support", and "Being a diabetic patient in the health care system". The results of the quantitative and qualitative analyzes confirm the framework of the Self- Regulatory Model in people diagnosed with diabetes and/or hypertension. To improve the quality of life for patients with diabetes and hypertension, it is important to consider their illness representations and coping strategies in order to control negative health outcomes. Keywords: Self -Regulatory Model, Illness Representations, Chronic Illnesses.