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The additive and interactive effects of diabetes and general life stress on overall psychological distress
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Westley, Kiersten Vesta-Victoria. The additive and interactive effects of diabetes and general life stress on overall psychological distress. Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3VQ35DP

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TitleThe additive and interactive effects of diabetes and general life stress on overall psychological distress
NameWestley, Kiersten Vesta-Victoria (author); August, Kristin (chair); Rutgers University; Camden Graduate School
Date Created2017
Other Date2017-05 (degree)
SubjectPsychology, Diabetes--Psychological aspects, Stress (Psychology)
Extent1 online resource (iv, 56 p. : ill.)
DescriptionType 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that is reaching epidemic proportions around the world. A number of disease-related factors put patients at risk for experiencing diabetes-specific stress that may contribute to patients’ overall psychological distress. Yet at the same time, patients are experiencing other significant stressful events in their lives, which could further exacerbate their distress. Further research is clearly needed that identifies ways in which patients are most affected by their disease to intervene appropriately. This study sought to contribute to this area of the literature by exploring how different types of disease-specific stress relate to overall psychological distress (depressive and anxiety symptoms) among individuals with diabetes. This study further sought to understand whether experiencing general life stress changed the nature of these associations. This study used survey data collected from a community-based sample of 119 middle-aged and older adults with type 2 diabetes (mean age = 59.71) in the greater Philadelphia area. Diabetes-related stress was assessed by examining perceived diabetes frustrations, worry about complications, and burden; general life stress was assessed by both a count of life events and subjective stressfulness ratings; psychological distress was assessed by depressive and anxious symptoms. Multivariable regression analyses were conducted to examine the main and interactive effects of diabetes-specific and general life stress in predicting psychological distress (anxious and depressive symptoms). The results revealed unique main effects for diabetes-related frustration, burden, and general life stress in predicting depressive symptoms (all ps < .02). The results also revealed significant interactions between two of the three scales of diabetes-related stress and subjective stress ratings of stressful life events in predicting anxious symptoms (all ps < .02). The findings suggest that there are unique effects of different types of stress on depressive symptoms, whereas general life stress impacts the relationship between diabetes-specific stress and anxious symptoms. Identifying the unique contributors to mental health symptoms is important in understanding how these symptoms may interfere with successful chronic disease management.
NoteM.A.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
Noteby Kiersten Vesta-Victoria Westley
Genretheses, ETD graduate
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3VQ35DP
Languageeng
CollectionCamden Graduate School Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
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