Dismissing attachment and outcome in diabetes: The mediating role of coping

Abstract

In this study, the hypotheses that state that dismissing attachment is associated with negative outcomes when facing a chronic illness, and that these associations are mediated by coping were tested. Self-report questionnaires were completed by 89 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients attending a public clinic in Turkey. Dismissing attachment was found to be associated with poor adjustment to diabetes, poor adherence to blood tests, and poor adherence to insulin injections. In addition to being related to those outcome measures, dismissing attachment was associated with the coping strategies of avoidance and passive resignation, but not with tackling spirit (an active role taking approach to managing the desease with an optimistic attitude). Associations between dismissing attachment and the outcomes were found to be mediated-by avoidance and passive resignation.