An examination of the communal coping process in recently diagnosed diabetes

Communal coping, which involves a shared illness appraisal and engaging in collaboration when illness-related problems arise, is likely beneficial for individuals with type 2 diabetes. The purpose of this work was to examine the process by which communal coping may lead to such benefits. First, we hypothesized that illness-related interactions characterized by more communal coping would involve greater spouse support provision and greater patient receptivity to support. Second, we hypothesized that such interactions would lead to greater perceived problem resolution and more positive perceptions of the interaction. Third, we expected communal coping to predict changes in long-term diabetes outcomes—increased self-efficacy, improved self-care, and reduced diabetes distress—6 months later. Finally, we predicted that these long-term links would be partially explained by the immediate interaction outcomes. We tested these hypotheses in a sample of 123 persons with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes and their ...