| The present pilot study explores the role of coping styles, acceptance, and optimism in individuals undergoing thermal biofeedback treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Data was gathered utilizing a quantitative, randomized control design. Participants (N = 8) were placed into a relaxation-assisted thermal biofeedback group or an attention control group over the course of 6 sessions. Preliminary simple correlations revealed several trends in the relationship between coping variables and measures of limb temperature, pain, and adjustment at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment, independent of group assignment. Regression analyses suggested that coping and acceptance at Time 1 were predictors of less symptoms of depression at Time 6. Case examinations of two individual participants were also conducted to provide additional descriptive information. Consistent with previous research on coping with pain conditions, these results offer a beginning glimpse of the adaptive value of acceptance, optimism, and task oriented coping over time in individuals with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and shed light on the generally maladaptive relationship between emotion focused coping and measures of psychosocial functioning. |
