Examining the Impact of COVID-19 on Stress and Coping Strategies in Individuals With Disabilities and Chronic Conditions

Purpose/Objective: This study aimed to describe the perceived stress levels and coping mechanisms related to COVID-19, and whether coping is related to well-being in people with self-reported chronic conditions and disabilities. Research Method/Design: A cross-sectional survey design was implemented. The total number of participants were 269 individuals with self-reported disabilities and chronic conditions (M-age = 39.37, SDage = 12.18). We examined the relationship between perceived stress and coping strategies related to COVID-19, and which COVID-19 coping strategies were associated with well-being after controlling for demographic and psychological characteristics. Results: Correlation analyses demonstrated that perceived stress related to COVID-19 was positively associated with coping strategies including self-distraction, denial, substance use, behavioral disengagement, venting, planning, religion, and self-blame. Further, hierarchical regression results demonstrated that active coping, denial, use of emotional support. humor, religion, and self-blame were associated with participants' well-being after controlling for demographic and psychological characteristics. Conclusions/Implications: This exploratory study findings suggest that measuring and quantifying COVID-19 related stress and coping strategies in individuals with chronic conditions and disabilities can help clinicians and researchers understand potential effects of COVID-19 among people with chronic conditions and disabilities.