Abstract
Background: Mood status contributes to an impaired health status in patients with COPD. Coping style may also be related to health status. Our objective was to assess disease-specific health status in COPD patients entering pulmonary rehabilitation after stratification for coping style and mood status.
Methods: Coping styles were studied in 698 COPD patients entering PR (60% men; mean (SD) age: 64 (10) yrs; FEV1: 48 (18)% pred.) using the Utrecht Coping List. The current analysis is limited to passive coping style. Disease-specific health status (St. George's Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ)), and symptoms of anxiety (HADS-A) and depression (HADS-D) were recorded.
Results: Mean (SD) SGRQ total score was 54 (17) pts. Clinically relevant symptoms of anxiety (HADS-A ≥10 pts) and depression (HADS-D ≥10 pts) were reported by 30% and 23% of the patients, respectively. Low level of passive coping style was reported by 18% of the patients; medium level by 39% and high level by 43% of the patients. In patients with HADS-A or HADS-D <10 pts, SGRQ total score was higher for patients with a high passive coping style than for patients with a low or medium level passive coping style. In patients with HADS-A or HADS-D ≥ 10 pts, differences did not reach statistical significance.
Conclusions: The level of passive coping style may have a relationship with health status in COPD patients after stratification for symptoms of anxiety and/or depression.
- © 2011 ERS