Self-management and its association with coping styles and disease-related stigma in patients with chronic hepatitis C

TL;DR

This study explores how patients with chronic hepatitis C manage their condition and how this relates to their coping styles and feelings of stigma.

Contribution

The study identifies correlations between self-management behaviors and coping styles or stigma in chronic hepatitis C patients.

Findings

Self-management scores were positively correlated with positive coping styles.

Self-management was negatively correlated with negative coping and disease-related stigma.

Abstract

To investigate the current status of self-management behaviors among patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and analyze its relationship with coping styles and disease-related stigma.

This study enrolled 192 CHC patients in our hospital during February 2023–July 2025. Data on general characteristics, treatment, self-management behaviors, coping styles, and disease-related stigma were collected and assessed using the Self-Management Behavior Scale for Chronic Hepatitis Patients, the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire, and the Chronic Hepatitis C-Related Stigma Scale. These variables were compared across demographic and clinical subgroups, and Pearson correlation analysis was performed.

The median age of participants was 59.00 (53.00–68.00) years. The cohort consisted of 88 (45.83%) males and 104 (54.17%) females. The total self-management score was 94.14 ± 5.17. Patients scored significantly higher on positive coping (22.23 ± 3.37) than negative coping (11.44 ± 2.76, p < 0.05). The total stigma score was 69.01 ± 5.22. No differences in self-management, coping, or stigma were observed across age, gender, education, occupation, or marital status (all p > 0.05). Self-management was positively correlated with positive coping (r = 0.415, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with negative coping (r = −0.354, p < 0.001) and disease-related stigma (r = −0.413, p < 0.001).

Self-management among CHC patients is moderate, showing cross-sectional positive correlations with positive coping and negative correlations with both negative coping and disease-related stigma.

Figures