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Mediating Effects of Coping Strategies on Quality of Life Following Extremity Injury

Background Few researches have explored the self-regulation process in patients with extremity injuries. Knowledge about the role of coping in the postinjury self-regulation process remains scarce. Objectives We examined the relationships between illness representations, coping, and quality of life (QoL) based on the self-regulation framework, assuming adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies play mediating roles between illness representation and QoL in patients with extremity injuries. Methods A cross-sectional survey with a correlational model testing design was used. A sample of 192 patients with extremity injury was recruited before hospital discharge at trauma centers in Indonesia. Validated questionnaires were used to assess patients’ illness representations, coping, and QoL. Hierarchical regressions were carried out, and multiple mediation analyses were used to identify the mediating role of coping. Results Patients with extremity injuries who harbored negative illness representations were less focused on using adaptive coping strategies, were more focused on using maladaptive coping strategies, and tended to experience reduced QoL. The mediating effects of coping, which manifested as parallel mediations of adaptive and maladaptive coping strategies, could significantly explain the QoL variance. Discussion In postinjury self-regulation, coping has a parallel mediating role that can facilitate the effect of illness representations and directly influence postinjury QoL. Enhancing adaptive coping strategies, reducing maladaptive coping techniques, and reframing negative illness representations during the early recovery phase could improve postinjury QoL. Early screening and preventive efforts using psychologically driven interventions may help redirect patients’ focus toward adaptive coping strategies and reframe their illness representations before they transition back into the community.