The Relationship Between Loss From Chronic Illness and Depression, Moderated by Coping Mechanisms: Internal Health Locus of Control, Helplessness, and Acceptance

Chronic illness creates losses that are physical and psychological, tangible and ambiguous. Chronic illness is strongly correlated with depression, and that depression can complicate chronic illness symptoms. Individuals cope with their chronic condition using different strategies, including maintaining an internal health locus of control, helplessness and acceptance, with varying outcomes. This study with 304 participants examined loss due to chronic illness as a predictor of depression, and the coping mechanisms as moderators of depression, using a series of multiple regression analyses. The losses due to chronic illness were found to be strongly correlated to depression measured with the Loss Inventory (LI; Niemeier, Kennedy, Mckinley, & Cifu, 2004) and the Patient Health questionnaire (PHQ-9; R. Spitzer, Kroenke, & Williams, 1999). The coping mechanisms of helplessness and acceptance were measured with the Illness Cognition Questionnaire (IQC; Evers & Kraaimaat, 1998) and were found to moderate the relationship between loss and depression such that it was stronger for those who used helplessness and weaker for those who used acceptance. No relationship was found between internal locus of control and depression when measured with the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control scale (MHLC: K. Wallston et al., 1978). The covariates of pain, age, sex, household income, and severity of illness also had significant findings when examined for correlations and differences when studying depression.