Living With Chronic Illness

define chronic illness

experience of a long-term health condition for which there is currently no cure, and which is managed with drugs/other treatment

number of people with chronic conditions?

1 in 3 have at least 1 condition

common elements from patients’ illness narratives

• searching for meaning/explanation

• uncertainty and unpredictability

• coping and resilience

domains of impact of chronic illness

• daily activities

• social relationships

• sense of self

• social identity

common coping strategies of chronic illness

denial → normalisation (try to conceal illness) → resignation → accommodation (deal w/ problem but not central to life)

supported self-management approaches

• peer support

• self-management education

• peer coaching

• disease specific programmes

describe an expert patient

takes the lead in managing their condition with confidence and effective communication, is realistic about condition

describe self regulatory model

involves representation of illness, interpretation, coping, appraisal of coping, and emotional response

5 dimensions of illness belief/representation

• identity of illness

• cause

• time

• consequence

• control-cure

benefits of pain management programmes

• focus on management rather than pain controlling them

• change cognitive perceptions of pain

• management of mental health