DOI: 10.4103/ijcm.ijcm_172_25 ISSN: 0970-0218

Assessment of Coping Mechanisms and Associated Factors Among Adults with Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Using Glucocoper and Stress Coping Behavior Scale: A Cross-Sectional Study in Western Rajasthan

Shweta Pal, Gomathi Arumugam, Suresh K. Sharma, Mamta Nebhinani
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Abstract

Context:

Coping mechanisms—cognitive and behavioral strategies to manage stress—are often compromised in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), increasing the risk of unrecognized mental health disorders (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984; Carver et al. , 1989).

Aims:

The aim of the study was to assess the coping mechanism in adults with T2DM.

Settings and Design:

This was a descriptive cross-sectional study at the Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) Clinic, Pratap Nagar, Jodhpur, Rajasthan.

Materials and Methods:

This is an observational descriptive cross-sectional study that used consecutive sampling through face-to-face interviews with 418 adults with T2DM. The Kolmogorov–Smirnov test indicated that the data deviated significantly from a normal distribution. The Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests were used for statistical analysis.

Results:

Acceptance emerged as the predominant coping strategy. Participants had a mean Glucocoper score of 8.09 (possible range: −16 to + 38; higher scores indicate more positive coping) and a mean Stress Coping Behavior Scale (SCBS) score of 98.89 (higher scores indicate greater use of coping behaviors). Coping scores did not differ significantly according to gender, religion, educational status, occupation, treatment type or duration, number of medications, body mass index, blood pressure, recent random blood sugar level, duration of T2DM, comorbidities, diabetes-related complications, or family history of diabetes (all P > 0.05; r or η² ≤0.04). Age was the only factor significantly associated with coping scores, with higher mean ranks observed among participants aged 50–60 years (222.21) compared with those aged 40–50 years (194.13) and 30–40 years (185.27) (H = 6.434, P = 0.040, η² =0.011). Disease management status demonstrated a nonsignificant trend toward higher coping scores (U = 16,169.0, P = 0.086, r = 0.004).

Conclusions:

Acceptance was identified as a positive coping mechanism among adults with T2DM, with healthcare workers being the primary information source. While age was statistically associated with coping scores, the very small effect size suggests minimal practical relevance, and therefore, this finding should not be overinterpreted. This study describes coping mechanisms and their associations with psychosocial factors. As a cross-sectional study, no causal or intervention effects can be inferred. Further longitudinal and interventional research is recommended.

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