Psychosocial Health Status of Patients Diagnosed with Chronic Illnesses in Jordan

Dana D. Al Abeiat, Ayman M. Hamdan-Mansour, Bushra Mustafa Ghannam, Saleh N. Azzeghaiby, Laila Y. Dawood

Al-Farabi College, Riyadh, KSA.
Department of Clinical Nursing, Faculty of Nursing, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
Department of Community Health Nursing, Al-Farabi College, Riyadh, KSA.
Faculty of Nursing, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan.
Specialty Hospital, Amman, Jordan.

DOI: 10.4236/ojmp.2014.34029                

Abstract

Background: The comorbidity between chronic physical conditions and psychosocial health consequences is becoming a research interest for researchers in the field. The purpose of this study was to investigate the psychosocial health status of patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses in Jordan. Methods: A cross sectional survey using 806 patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses has been used to collect data in regards to depressive symptoms, psychological distress, coping, optimism, life satisfaction, and perceive social support. Results: 17.5% of the patients reported that they had moderate to severe depressive symptoms, and about 50% of them had high level of optimism and life satisfaction, moderate level of effectiveness of coping skills, psychological distress, and perceived social support from family, friends and others. There were significant association between patients’ age and their scores on perception of social support from family, friends and others, life satisfaction, and psychological distress (p > 0.05). While, male and female patients were different in their depressive symptoms (t = －2.57, p = 0.01), perceived social support from others (t = －2.06, p = 0.04), and optimism (t = 2.29, p = 0.02). Also, patients had differences in their depressive symptoms, perceived social support from friends, others and friends, optimism, life satisfaction, and psychological distress related to their medical diagnoses (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with chronic illness are in need for psychological care, and periodic psychological screening is one step toward maintaining their psychological wellbeing.

Keywords

Psychosocial Health, Chronic Illnesses, Jordan

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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