Coping, efficacy, and perceived control in acute vs chronic illnesses

This study investigated differences in illness-specific coping strategies, self-efficacy, and perceived control over illnesses in adults (18–72 years) reporting acute (n=137; 41 males, 96 females) and chronic (n=137; 41 males, 96 females) health problems. Analyses showed that individuals with acute illnesses scored higher on general self-efficacy than individuals with chronic illnesses. No differences between illness groups were observed in perceived control, although severity of illness ratings were found to be negatively related to perceived control. People with chronic illnesses were more likely to use a combination of emotional preoccupation, instrumental and distraction coping strategies, whereas people with acute illnesses used palliative coping strategies to a greater extent. Self-efficacy was found to be negatively related to emotional preoccupation coping, regardless of illness category (i.e., acute vs chronic). Results are discussed in terms of the importance of each of the variables for the two categories of illnesses.