The relationship between coping strategies and anxiety and depression levels of diabetic patients

Background: The study aimed to find out the prevalence of anxiety and depression among diabetic patients and their coping strategies. Also, the relationships between anxiety, depression, coping strategies, socio-demographic and illness-related data were investigated. Method: The study was descriptive. The sample consisted of 180 Iraqi adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The anxiety and depression were measured with HADS scale and coping strategies were measured with the COPE scale. Multiple linear regression was used to test the relationship between coping strategies and both anxiety and depression. Result: The results showed that the prevalence of mild anxiety was the highest (44.4%), followed by moderate anxiety (24.4%), and severe anxiety (5%). With regard to depression, 35.6% of participants had mild depression, 19.4% had moderate depression, and 4.4% had severe depression. Anxiety and depression were more common among patients with type 1 diabetes, patients between the ages of 18 and 29, patients with long duration of diabetes, and those with a low monthly income. Depression was more common among females and patients who lived in urban areas. Those with lower levels of education also have higher levels of anxiety. There is a negative relationship between positive coping strategies (active coping and seeking support strategies) and both anxiety and depression. In contrast, there is a positive relationship between negative strategies (non-problem-focused coping and substance abuse) and both anxiety and depression. Therefore, there seems to be a need to pay attention to the psychological aspects of diabetic patients and educate them about coping strategies.