Perceived Stress, Depression, and Coping Strategies in Patients with Sleep-Related Breathing Disorder

Abstract

Sleep-related breathing disorders (SRBDs), such as obstructive sleep apnea and upper airway resistance syndrome, are characterized by repetitive upper airway obstructions during sleep. These diseases’ main symptoms are loud snoring, disrupted nocturnal sleep, and excessive daytime sleepiness. The course is usually progressive, and profound functional impairment and/or life-threatening complications can occur.1 According to recent, extensive population-based surveys on SRBDs, SRBD prevalence is relatively high, especially among obese middle-aged and older adults,2,3 and SRBDs constitute a major public health problem.4,5 A diagnosis of SRBD is stressful because of the disorder’s progressive course and associated significant physical and psychological distress. Many studies have documented that patients with SRBD experience mood changes, psychological dysfunction,6,7 and an impaired quality of life.8 Coping has been defined as “constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person.”9 Researchers view coping as a response to perceived stress and considered it to be particularly important for mediating life stresses and the onset of a psychiatric illness, especially depression.9 It has two widely-recognized major functions: regulating emotions or distress (emotion-focused coping) and managing the problem causing the distress (problem-focused coping). In most stressful encounters, individuals use both forms of coping apportioning the Received: May 15, 2011 Revised: July 19, 2011 Accepted: July 21, 2011