Perceived Stress, Self-Compassion, and Coping Strategies in Adults With and Without Autoimmune Disease: A Comparative Study
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Objective: This study compared perceived stress, self-compassion, and coping strategies between adults with autoimmune diseases and healthy controls.
Methods and Materials: In a causal-comparative cross-sectional study, 56 adults aged 20 years and older were recruited from three psychology clinics in Tehran (27 with diagnosed autoimmune disease for more than two years and 29 without chronic illness). Participants completed the Perceived Stress Questionnaire, the Self-Compassion Scale–Short Form, and the Coping Strategies Questionnaire. Instruments had acceptable reliability in the present sample (Cronbach’s alpha 0.71–0.84). Group differences in perceived stress, self-compassion, and five coping strategies (problem solving, emotional control, cognitive evaluation, physical restraint, and gaining social support) were examined using ANOVA and MANOVA in SPSS 27, with α = 0.05.
Findings: Compared with the control group, participants with autoimmune disease reported significantly higher perceived stress and significantly lower self-compassion, problem solving, emotional control, and gaining social support (p < 0.05; partial η² = 0.071–0.267). No significant between-group differences emerged for cognitive evaluation or physical restraint. Multivariate analysis confirmed a significant overall effect of group on the psychological variables.
Conclusion: Adults living with autoimmune disease experience greater stress and reduced self-compassion and use of key adaptive coping strategies than individuals without such conditions. These findings highlight an important psychological burden in autoimmune disease and underscore the need to integrate stress management, self-compassion training, and coping-skills interventions into routine care in order to support patients’ psychological and social well-being.
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