Relationships among illness uncertainty, stress, coping, and emotional well-being at entry into a clinical drug trial.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationships among illness uncertainty, stress, coping, and emotional well-being at the time of entry into a clinical drug trial. Hopefulness and mood state were included as indicators of emotional well-being. The sample included 59 clients who participated in a 2-year trial using methotrexate for progressive multiple sclerosis. Results indicated that ambulation status, education, perceived stress, and illness uncertainty were the best correlates of emotional well-being. The results suggest that clients entering a drug trial with high levels of illness uncertainty and stress are likely to experience mood disturbances and feel less hopeful about treatment effectiveness. This information may be used as a foundation for developing nursing interventions designed to foster emotional well-being at the time of entry into drug trials.