Studying the relationship between coping and other outcome measures in a sample of male outpatients
with COPD, McCathie et al found that higher levels of psychological distress, assessed as depression, were associated with coping strategies characterized by withdrawal. Furthermore, it has been reported that problem-focused coping is associated with the perception of well-being in patients with COPD, whereas emotional coping is not. These results indicate that the management of psychological distress has a significant effect on the health status and quality of life of patients with COPD.