INFLUENCE OF ILLNESS INTRUSIVENESS, NEUROTICISM AND DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES ON EMOTIONAL DISTRESS AMONG HYPERTENSIVE AND DIABETIC PATIENTS
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Abstract
Description
This cross-sectional survey investigated the influence of illness intrusiveness and
personality on emotional distress in chronic medical conditions. Participants were 259
outpatient attendees of two General Hospitals in Ibadan, South-Western Nigeria: 137 in
treatment for hypertension and 122 in treatment for diabetes mellitus. A psychological
battery, consisting of standardized measures of illness intrusiveness, personality
(neuroticism), emotional distress and a socio-demographic prototype was used to collect
data. Initial analyses indicated that the two samples (diabetic and hypertensive patients)
were significantly high (and differentially so) on emotional distress illness (t = 3.04;
p < .05), illness intrusiveness (t = 12.28; p < .001) and neuroticism (t = 2.61; p < .05).
Furthermore, results indicated that a high level of illness intrusiveness and high
neuroticism were indicative of more emotional distress in both diabetes
{F(1,118)=5.44;P < .05} and hypertension {F(1,133)=78.40;P < .001}, with both
differentially influencing emotional distress. It was strongly recommended that
individuals experiencing chronic illness should be helped and encouraged to engage in
hobbies and valued activities as much as possible in order to reduce their perceived illness
intrusiveness. Psychological intervention should also be conducted for these individuals in
order to reduce emotional distress
Keywords
BF Psychology