Role of Health Locus of Control in Determining Physical and Psychological Distress among Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

The present investigation was done to study the effect of Health Locus of Control on Psychological and Physical distress among type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients. The sample consisted of 100 type 2 diabetic patients (50 males and 50 females) with a mean age of 56.44 years. The sample was taken from an endocrinology OPD of a government hospital. PGI Health Questionnaire N-1 by Verma, Wig and Pershad was used to evaluate the physical and psychological distress among diabetics, to assess health locus of control, 18 item Health Locus of Control scale developed by Wallston and Wallston was used. Multiple regression analysis was done to see the effect of Health Locus of Control on Physical and Psychological Distress among type 2 diabetics. Results showed that among the three dimensions of Health Locus of Control, Chance significantly predicted psychological distress and internal locus of control significantly predicted physical distress among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. Female diabetic patients scored significantly high on physical distress than their male counterparts.