Acceptance, Cognitions, and Resourcefulness in Women with Diabetes

Abstract

The coexistence of diabetes and depression occurs frequently among young and middle-age women. Unless one is resourceful, simultaneous management of the symptoms of both conditions is especially challenging. Skills constituting resourcefulness are learned throughout life and are important for the optimal performance of daily activities. Little is known about specific factors that influence resourcefulness. In this study, contextual factors (diabetic and depressive symptoms) and cognitive factors (positive cognitions and acceptance of diabetes) were examined as antecedents of learned resourcefulness in 82 women with type 2 diabetes. Regression analyses showed that depressive symptoms and positive cognitions were significant antecedents of learned resourcefulness: Positive cognitions mediated the effects of depressive symptoms on learned resourcefulness. The findings suggest the need for interventions that focus on development of positive cognitions to better promote resourcefulness in women with type 2 diabetes who are at risk for depression.