Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study is to examine stress and stress related factors in tuberculosis patients. In addition, to determine the impact of socio-demographic variables such as age, gender and educational level over stress symptoms hereby comprises a further objective of this study.
Method: The study included totally 129 tuberculosis patients and 161 non-patients (normal group) participants. Tuberculosis patients registered in Ankara Tuberculosis Dispensary No.4, and Atatürk Chest Diseases and Chest Surgery Hospital. There are 75 Pulmonary Tuberculosis (AC TB) and 54 Extra- Pulmonary Tuberculosis (AD TB) patients. As regards data collection tools; Demographic Information Form, Brief Symptom Inventory, Stress Symptoms Scale, Stress Vulnerability Scale, and Stress Coping Scale were used.
Results: Within the context of diagnosis groups; it was found that; stress symptoms of tuberculosis patients are higher than the normal group, they use their ineffective coping ways more and their life satisfactions are lower. There exists no gender and diagnosis group main effect in terms of the psychological symptoms of stress, however “gender x diagnosis group” interaction effect draws attention herein. In tuberculosis patients, ineffective coping the stress and relation pleasure variables are confronted as joint variables which are predicting both the psychological and physical health. Another point which draws attention in regression analyzes is that; “education” variable takes place among the variables which predict the psychological symptoms of stress in tuberculosis patients.
Conclusion: Under the light of these findings, tuberculosis patients, during their treatment processes, may be encouraged to attend various training programs prepared for stress management and effective dealing strategies with stress. By increasing the patients’ motivation towards the treatment, these programs may provide supplementary benefits to the treatment by the elimination of risk factors, which are important challenging factors against treatment, such as irregular use of drugs and/or interruption of treatment. Besides, allowing various techniques (relaxation, biofeedback, etc.) for physical complaints may provide the patients to get relaxed and to obtain better results from the treatment.
Key Word: tuberculosis patients, stress