Cognitive Appraisal and Non-Communicable Diseases: A Hospital based Study

Non-communicable diseases (NCD) include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, asthma and various form of cancer. It is considered that NCD is due to unhealthy lifestyle practices, but psychological factors also lead to develop NCD. Such factor consist cognitive appraisal, coping strategies and personal sense of control. In this article, it was examined the relationship between cognitive appraisal and NCD. It was considered that an individual's appraisal of a stressful situation, whether the individuals were internally or externally focused and their way of coping would develop NCD. The study was cross-sectional and a total no. of 30 individuals was selected as samples, who were suffering with NCD. Purposive sample technique was used and sample was taken from a government hospital of Bihar. A product moment correlation statistics was performed and result indicated that cognitive appraisal (when situation perceived as threat or harmful) and emotional focused coping strategies and event perceived as beyond their control i.e. external locus of control, were significant predictors of NCD.