ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Although stress and styles of coping with it can have a major impact on one's health and can determine the course and management of chronic diseases, no previous studies have evaluated coping strategies and their relation to emotional distress and clinical symptoms in sarcoidosis. METHODS: In two consecutive studies, we investigated differences in coping styles of sarcoidosis patients in comparison to healthy control subjects and the association of identified profiles to an objective measurement of disease (Forced Vital Capacity) and symptoms such as dyspnoea, pain, anxiety and depressive symptoms in 36 patients with sarcoidosis (study 1) and 93 patients with sarcoidosis (study 2). RESULTS: Across two studies we found that patients with sarcoidosis used emotion-focused and avoidant coping significantly less often than healthy individuals, and that in both groups the profile with dominant problem (task)-focus style was the most beneficial in terms of mental health. Further, the profile of sarcoidosis patients characterized by the lowest intensity of all coping strategies was found to be superior in terms of physical health status (dyspnoe, pain and FVC level). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that successful management of sarcoidosis should include coping styles assessment and call for a multidisciplinary approach in diagnosis and treatment of sarcoidosis patients.
