Acceptance of illness and related factors in Turkish patients with diabetes

The most recommended goal in the management of chronic illnesses is the individual’s acceptance of the illness, a factor which has not been investigated in Turkish society. We, therefore, distributed 300 questionnaires at hospitals in Turkey, with the aim of identifying the illness acceptance levels of Type 2 diabetes patients. Of the 300 patients, 46% were found to have a low acceptance level, which was related to low education and income status, the presence of other chronic illnesses, recent diagnosis, low social support, low self-efficacy, and pessimistic life orientation. Recommendations are made for interventions to increase the illness acceptance level of diabetic patients.