Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.
About Coping with Chronic Illness
Having a long-term, or chronic, illness can disrupt your life in many ways. You may often be tired and in pain. Your illness might affect your appearance or your physical abilities and independence. You may not be able to work, causing financial problems. For children, chronic illnesses can be frightening, because they may not understand why this is happening to them.
These changes can cause stress, anxiety, and anger. If they do, it is important to seek help. A trained counselor can help you develop strategies to regain a feeling of control. Support groups might help, too. You will find that you are not alone, and you may learn some new tips on how to cope.
You may be able to manage your illness better if you learn more about it. It is important to evaluate the information that you find, to make sure that it is reliable. It is also important to find a health care provider that you can trust.
It sits within Mental Health and Behavior.
When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.
Research on Coping with Chronic Illness
30 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.
What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.
Research already completed
- Chronical Illness-related Limitations of the Ability to Cope With Rising Temperatures, Third WaveUniversitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf
- Self-management Program in Patients With COPDRiphah International University
- Feasibility of a Life Coping Program: A Study ProtocolHaukeland University Hospital
- Effects of an Active Coping Program in Patients With Persistent Post-Covid Pain.University of Valladolid
- Coping Strategies Within Pulmonary Rehabilitation in Patients With IPF and COPDSchön Klinik Berchtesgadener Land
- HOPE Consortium Trial to Reduce Pain and Opioid Use in HemodialysisNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.
Where to read more
Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.
Start Here
- Coping with a Diagnosis of Chronic IllnessAmerican Psychological Association
- Living with a Chronic ConditionCenters for Disease Control and Prevention
- Next Steps after Your Diagnosis: Finding Information and SupportAgency for Healthcare Research and Quality
- Understanding the Link Between Chronic Disease and DepressionNational Institute of Mental Health
Related Issues
- How to Help a Friend or Loved One Suffering from a Chronic IllnessAmerican Psychological Association
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Chronic DiseaseNational Institutes of Health
Medical subject headings
Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Chronic Disease. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.
This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Coping with Chronic Illness, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.