Psyykkinen itsesäätely itsehoidon perustana : itsehoito I-tyypin diabetesta sairastavilla aikuisilla

Abstract

It was assumed that self-care practices are carried out depending on a person's motive structure and ways of maintaining emotional equilibrium and identity, which are derived from the autonomy development of a person. Personality was conceived to be comprised of hierarchical, coherently interconnected cognitions. It was hypothesized that based on the nature of a person's autonomy, four self-care orientations could be distinguished: autonomous, externally controlled, autonomy defending and labile self-care orientation. The main task was to verify these self-care orientations. It was also investigated whether a person's self-rated personality characteristics and mediating cognitions appear as was theoretically assumed and how the outcome of self-care, in this case the glucose level (HbA1c), can be understood in relation to self-care orientation. 30 adult type I diabetic subjects participated in the study. The data were gathered by in-depth interviews and questionnaires. The subjects were classified into four groups according to information from qualitatively analyzed interviews. The groups were compared with each other quantitatively using data from questionnaires. Six subjects were classified as having autonomous, eleven externally controlled, six autonomy defending and seven labile self-care orientation. The results showed that there were many ways to maintain good glucose control. It was concluded that individualized regimens were needed and that the nature of a person's problems in self-care should be analyzed individually. It is important to look at the problems in self-care in a theoretical and psychological way taking the whole personality into account.