Psychosocial Correlates and patterns of psychological coping among people living with sickle cell diseases in the South-western Nigeria

Background: Effective coping strategies are essential for crises and mortality prevention among people living with Sickle Cell Disease (PLWSCD) in a malaria infested and economically challenging environment. Nigeria has the highest global burden of sickle cell disease (SCD) with approximately 150,000 affected infants born annually, but the PLWSCD face compounded challenges due to malaria endemicity and severe economic hardship. These conditions heighten the need for effective coping strategies, yet there remains limited empirical understanding of how individuals in such settings are adapting psychologically to their illness. However, as the global migration continues to rise and there is an increasing relevance of SCD to diverse populations worldwide, research exploring coping strategies within high burden environments such as Nigeria is essential. Method: Guided by cognitive relational and self-regulation theory, this descriptive-cross-sectional-survey examined the coping patterns and its relationship with some psychological factors among 100 PLWSCD aged 15-54 years recruited from two SCD support centres in Nigeria. The participants completed the 28 item Brief COPE scale along with validated measures of illness perception, hardiness, and socio communication orientation. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and bivariate correlations with significance set at p = 0.05. Findings: The participants reported using a wide range of coping strategies, with disengagement oriented strategies including denial, self distraction, behavioural disengagement, and substance use—emerging most prominently. Hardiness, illness perception, and socio communication orientation showed significant associations with several coping styles, indicating that these psychosocial factors shape how PLWSCD manage their condition. Conclusion and implication: The findings underscore the complex interplay between coping behaviours and psychosocial characteristics among PLWSCD in resource limited, malaria endemic settings. These insights highlight the importance of designing psychological interventions that strengthen adaptive coping and address individual psychosocial needs to improve health outcomes and quality of life of PLWSCD.