RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association between therapeutic adherence and the phases of grief in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SITE: Family Medicine Unit No. 53 of the Mexican Institute of Social Security in the State of Guanajuato. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 354 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were recruited, of whom 236 corresponded to the group without therapeutic adherence and 118 to the group with therapeutic adherence. INTERVENTIONS: Two structured surveys were administered to both groups. MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The Morisky 8 scale was used to measure therapeutic adherence and the phases of grief scale (EFD-66) to measure grief due to loss of health. RESULTS: The median denial phase and depression phase scores were higher in the nonadherence group than in the adherence group (p=.000). The median negotiation phase and acceptance phase score was higher in the adherence group than in the nonadherence group (p=.000). Multivariate analysis identifies that denial is the main factor associated with non-adherence (OR=1.25; 95% CI: 1.14-1.37); while negotiation (OR=0.88; 95% CI: 0.82-0.94) and acceptance are associated with adherence (OR=0.79; 95% CI: 0.75-0.83). CONCLUSIONS: There is an association between therapeutic adherence and phases of grief.