Stress Related Growth Among Diabetic Outpatients: Role of Social Support, Self-Esteem, and Cognitive Processing

Diabetic patients feel stress regarding the nature of the illness. This study aims to explore factors related to stress related growth (SRG) among diabetic outpatients. A newly proposed model, based on the Schaefer and Moos’ Life Crises and Personal Growth Model was tested in a sample of diabetic outpatients. The sample was 455 diabetic outpatients who were not hospitalized previously. Results revealed that cognitive processing (CP) mediated the relationship between self-esteem and SRG. Moreover, the effect of social support on SRG was significant. As the results of the multi-group comparisons indicated, the proposed model was valid for diabetic patients with or without additional diseases. Regarding clinical implications, clinicians should evaluate CP and family support that are highly correlated with SRG. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2014