Attachment and perceived stress in patients with ulcerative colitis, a case –control study

This study suggests that UC could determine a shift towards insecurity in the attachment style that, in turn, promotes psychological stress and increases the risk of psychopathologies. What are the implications for practice? The more accurate knowledge of attachment insecurity in patients with chronic disorders such as UC may help the nurses to face with often dysfunctional patients’ styles of manifesting distress, patterns of help seeking and expectations of health professionals. The knowledge of psychopathological mechanisms in patients with UC could improve the prevention and treatment of psychological disorders in affected patients. AbstractIntroductionUlcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disorder characterized by recurrent intestinal symptoms. The attachment theory provides a psychodynamic perspective to investigate the relationship between interpersonal relationships and stress in UC.AimThe aim of this study was to compare the attachment dimensions between UC patients and controls and to evaluate the impact of these dimensions on perceived stress in patients.MethodIn all, 101 patients with UC completed the attachment style questionnaire and the perceived stress questionnaire (PSQ). Clinical and psychometric parameters were added as predictor variables in a regression with the PSQ score as dependent variable. One hundred and five healthy subjects took part in the study as controls.ResultsCompared to controls, UC patients exhibited greater scores in relationships as...
Source: Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing - Category: Nursing Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research