Health suggestibility, optimism and sense of responsibility for health in diabetic patients

The study examined the relationship between sense of responsibility for health, health suggestibility, and dispositional optimism in diabetic patients (n = 110) with (n = 56) and without (n = 54) complications/accompanying diseases. The two groups of patients did not differ significantly in their sense of responsibility for heath, but health suggestibility was significantly higher and optimism was significantly lower in patients with complications. Health suggestibility and optimism had positive significant correlations with sense of responsibility for health in patients without complications, but in patients with complications, these correlations were not significant. However, the correlations between the two groups did not differ significantly suggesting lack of significant moderation effects due to complications. While it is understandable that suggestibility scores are higher and optimism lower in patients with complications, it is not easy to explain as to why the correlations were significant in patients without complications, but not in patients with complications. Further studies are warranted to draw any clinical implications of these results.