Reserve-building activities attenuate treatment burden in chronic illness: The mediating role of appraisal and social support. Issue 1 (May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Schwartz, Carolyn E; Zhang, Jie; Michael, Wesley; Eton, David T; Rapkin, Bruce D
• Is Part Of: Health psychology open. Volume 5:Issue 1(2018)
• Publication Date: 2018-05
• Subjects: appraisal -- personality -- reserve -- social support -- treatment burden; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; Medicine and psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/2055102918773440
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2055-1029

Abstract

This study examines the importance of four psychosocial factors—personality, cognitive appraisal of quality of life, social support, and current reserve-building—in predicting treatment burden in chronically ill patients. Chronically ill patients ( n = 446) completed web-based measures. Structural equation modeling was used to investigate psychosocial factors predicting treatment burden. Reserve-building activities indirectly reduced treatment burden by: (1) reducing health worries appraisals, (2) reducing financial difficulties, (3) increasing calm and peaceful appraisals, and (4) increasing perceived social support. These findings point to key behaviors that chronically ill people can use to attenuate their treatment burden.