Can a Pulmonary Health Teaching Program Alter Patients’ Ability to Cope with COPD?

Abstract

Many clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) are involved in providing group teaching programs for individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Although knowledge levels often are enhanced by these programs, what is less well known is whether such programs also can affect the coping methods used by those with this disease. The exploratory study described here was part of a larger research project aimed at determining patients' knowledge, specific psychological parameters (anxiety, hostility, depression), and coping strategies. Thirty people agreed to participate in the study. The Jalowiec Coping Scale (JCS) (Jalowiec & Powers, 1981) was used so that participants could rate each coping method according to the degree of use and to determine whether the methods employed were affective or problem-solving approaches. There was very little change in the pre- and posttest scores on the JCS, indicating that there was little change in coping strategies used. There also were no significant correlations between the JCS scores and the demographic characteristics of age, educational level, and the length of time since diagnosis of COPD. The results of this study seem to indicate that pulmonary rehabilitation programs should place more emphasis on appropriate coping strategies that the COPD patient can incorporate into his or her lifestyle.

Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Their Beliefs About Measures That Increase Activity Tolerance

“…These stated consequences are consistent with the benefits outlined in the literature-that is, a rehabilitation regimen consisting of exercise, self-pacing, energy conservation, relaxation, and breathing control contributes to enhanced exercise tolerance in patients with COPD (Light, Mintz, Linden, & Brown, 1984). Such a regimen also reduces levels of depression and dyspnea (Gift & Austin, 1992) and contributes to the use of more effective coping strategies (Janelli et al, 1991).…”

The COPDX Plan: Australian and New Zealand Guidelines for the management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 2003

“…Exercise programs alone have clear benefits, 103 while the benefits of education or psychosocial support without exercise training are less well documented 101 , 104 . ‐ 106 Comprehensive programs incorporating all three interventions have the greatest benefits (see below).…”

Family support and self‐care behavior of Chinese chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients

“…Besides the various physiopsychosocial impacts of COPD on the individual, COPD is a chronic illness. Patients with COPD may have long survival of five, 10 or even more than 20 years after their initial diagnosis (Janelli et al. , 1991).…”