Illness knowledge moderates the influence of coping style on quality of life among women with congestive heart failure.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated the relationship of coping style with quality of life (QoL) among women with congestive heart failure (CHF), and the role of illness knowledge in this relationship. METHODS Thirty-five women with CHF completed measures of coping style (anger-in, alexithymia, and emotional expression), illness knowledge, and emotional/physical QoL. RESULTS Symptoms of depression and anxiety were positively associated with anger-in (P < .001) and alexithymia (P < .01), and were negatively correlated with emotional expression (P=.05). Furthermore, illness knowledge moderated the relationship between anger-in and depressive symptoms (P=.01), such that high anger-in individuals with greater illness knowledge displayed greater depressive symptoms. Knowledge also moderated the relationship between emotional expression and anxiety (P=.02), indicating that low emotional expression was associated with greater anxiety among those with less illness knowledge. Depressive and anxiety symptoms, anger-in, alexithymia, and emotional expression were not correlated with physical QoL. CONCLUSION Illness knowledge is associated with poorer emotional QoL among those using denial-based coping styles, but a better QoL among those avoiding communication of their emotions.