ORIGINAL ARTICLE doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01809.x Predictors of psychosocial adjustment in people with physical disease Nazmiye Kocaman PhD Psychiatry consultation liaison nurse, Department of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey Yasemin Kutlu PhD Assistant Professor, Department of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey Mine O ¨ zkan MD Associate Professor, Department of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey Sedat O ¨ zkan MD Professor, Department of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey Submitted for publication: 3 March 2006 Accepted for publication: 2 August 2006 Correspondence: Nazmiye Kocaman _ Istanbul U ¨ niversitesi _ Istanbul Tıp Faku ¨ ltesi Psikiyatri Anabilim Dalı Konsu ¨ ltasyon Liyezon Psikiyatrisi Bilim Dalı C ¸ apa _ Istanbul TU ¨ RK _ IYE Telephone: 0 532 703 35 18 E-mail: klpnurse@istanbul.edu.tr KOCAMAN N, KUTLU Y, OZKAN M & OZKAN S (2007) KOCAMAN N, KUTLU Y, O ¨ ZKAN M & O ¨ ZKAN S (2007) Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronic Illness in association with Journal of Clinical Nursing 16, 3a, 6–16 Predictors of psychosocial adjustment in people with physical disease Aims. The purpose of this paper was to examine the demographic, medical and psychosocial variables that result in the deterioration of psychosocial adjustment in patients with physical disease, the meaning their illness has for them and their coping style. Methods. The study was carried out in inpatient clinics of the Istanbul Faculty of Medicine (n ¼ 198). The following evaluation instruments were used: a semi- structured questionnaire, the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale-Self Report (PAIS-SR), the Meaning of Illness Questionnaire (MIQ), the Hospital Anxiety– Depression Scale, the Multivariate Perceived Social Support Questionnaire and the Ways of Coping Inventory (WCI). Variables to be related with psychosocial adjustment were analysed by using Forward Logistic Regression. Results. The mean age of patients was 36Æ9 (SD 12Æ9) (18–65), 55% of which were women, the average PAIS-SR score was 1Æ02 (SD 0Æ41) (0Æ7–2Æ26); 47% of the patients had poor adjustment scores. Univariate analysis showed that psychosocial adjustment was affected by having children (p ¼ 0Æ02), anxiety, depression, locus of control, perceived social support (p < 0Æ001), information level about their illness and its treatment (p ¼ 0Æ01), the subscales of WCI [escape-avoidance (p < 0Æ001), distancing (p ¼ 0Æ002), planned problem solving (p < 0Æ001), positive re-appraisal (p ¼ 0Æ02)]. The psychosocial adjustment of patients with respiratory or infectious illnesses or bone-muscle-skeletal disorders was even less (p ¼ 0Æ03). All 33 items of the MIQ were found to have a significant impact on psychosocial adjustment (p < 0Æ001). According to the regression analysis, the best predictors of psycho- social adjustment were: depression (p < 0Æ001) and the meaning of illness for patient (p < 0Æ01). Conclusions. Having a physical illness is an important stress factor. In providing assistance, a number of factors should be taken into consideration, including how 6 Ó 2007 The Authors. Journal compilation Ó 2007 Blackwell Publishing Ltd