Analysis of the use of coping at Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): conceptual implications

Abstract

Coping is at the first line at current research about health-illness, but it is facing a conceptual confusion that limits its efficiency. We have assessed the use of coping and the affective state in ambulatory and hospitalized Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, with three aims: a) getting of information about the use of coping and the affective states in COPD patients; b) determination of coping sensitivity levels to the stressors that configure medical situations; and c) establishment of capacity of this concept to predict the presence of emotional disorders. Our results have shown us the weakness of coping concept, now that its lack of sensitivity to the shaping items in the stressful situation and its incapacity to collect the modulating factors of the affective state; we have pointed out several explanations to this situation and proposed changes in coping evaluation and definition.