Problem of perception and denial of illness by women who have had breast cancer.
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Breast Neoplasms↗
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Results for “illness perception”
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Children's perceptions of vulnerability to illness and accidents. A replication, extension, and refinement.
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Accidents↗
Impact of a chronic illness in childhood: siblings' perceptions.
This project investigated siblings' perceptions of family disruption when a brother or sister had cystic fibrosis (CF) or asthma. Data were gathered by phone interviews and questionnaires. Phone interviews were conducted with siblings of chronically ill children and employed open-ended questions focusing on the impact of the illness on the sibling and the family unit. Along with the interview, siblings also completed a separate self-esteem measure. Assessments of family functioning and demographic variables were obtained through parental questionnaires. Only the sibling interview data are addressed in this article. Fifteen families from the two illness groups participated. There were 6 male and 9 female respondents, with a mean age of 10.1 years. The average age of the well sibling was slightly older than the average age of the chronically ill child. For siblings of both disease groups, positive outcomes included strengthening some family relationships, achieving more personal independence, and experiencing satisfaction in seeing improvement in the ill child. Negative outcomes included worrying about the brother's or sister's illness, being jealous of the attention paid to the ill child, and the restriction of family events. Appropriate family interventions are suggested, as well as feedback as to the efficacy of phone interviews with school-age children.
Adolescent↗
Cultural perceptions of the mentally ill: Australian and Papua New Guinean high school youth.
One hundred and thirty-three (76 male, 57 female) Papua New Guinean (PNG) and 144 (93 male, 51 female) Australian high school students completed a series of structured and open-ended measures on attitudes to the mentally ill, especially opinions about the nature of mental illness, characteristics of the mentally ill, and treatment. Both groups of students suggested hereditary and environmental causes, with PNG students citing more often witchcraft and sorcery. Australian students generally presented more favourable attitudes to mental illness, in that they were more willing to work with or marry the mentally ill. PNG students, however, were more likely to highlight the disruptive, violent behaviour of the long long, and possibly held a much narrower view of the types of persons labelled mentally ill.
Adolescent↗
Community perception of severity of illness levels of former mental patients: a failure to discriminate.
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Fear↗
Symptom perception: psychological correlates of symptom reporting and illness behavior of women with medically unexplained gynecological symptoms.
Medically unexplained (gynecological) symptoms can be viewed as an indication of the somatization of negative emotions. Most studies regarding psychological correlates of medically unexplained gynecological symptoms have paid attention only to certain personality characteristics of women with these symptoms. In this study the reporting of physical symptoms and the resulting illness behavior is explained in terms of information processing or a perception process, i.e. the process by which people detect and interpret physical sensations as symptoms of illness (symptom perception). Symptom perception is in part determined by environmental characteristics and cognitive and emotional processes, such as variation in daily life, (coping with) emotional threat and the use of cognitive illness schemes. Differences in symptom perception and illness behavior of women with medically unexplained and explained gynecological symptoms, compared to women with medically explained gynecological symptoms and a control group, were established with the help of a questionnaire, containing a number of scales. As expected, women with medically unexplained gynecological symptoms had higher reports of common symptoms and sensations and showed also more other illness behavior than the other two groups. They reported less variation and more threat in daily life than the other two groups. These variables together with the use of illness schemes contributed most to symptom reporting of women with medically unexplained symptoms. It is concluded that defence against threat is probably an important determinant. Suggestions for further research and some practical implications are discussed.
Adolescent↗
The association between psychological factors and oro-facial pain: a community-based study.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the hypothesis that psychological factors of psychological distress, maladaptive response to illness and perception of happiness in childhood, are associated with self-reported oro-facial pain (OFP). METHOD: A cross-sectional population-based study was conducted in South-East Cheshire, UK. The adjusted participation rate was 74%, and 2504 adults aged 18-65 years participated in the study. RESULTS: A report of not having had a happy childhood was associated with risk of 1.6 (95% CI 1.4-2.0) of reporting OFP. An increased propensity to report symptoms associated with OFP was seen for those individuals with higher levels of psychological distress measured using the general health questionnaire (GHQ) with the risk of 2.7 (95% CI 2.3-3.2) in the highest category. All components of the illness behaviour questionnaire (IBQ) were associated with presence of OFP. There was a linear increase in risk (test for trend, P<0.01) associated with the report of OFP for general hypochondriasis, disease conviction, affective inhibition, affective disturbance, and irritability. However there was a significant decrease in risk with a high score for perception of illness (0.6; 95% CI 0.6-0.7) and denial (0.6; 95% CI 0.5-0.7). None of the factors showed significant change in estimates when adjusted for age and gender. CONCLUSIONS: This large cross-sectional community-based study showed significant association for all of the factors considered. The obtained data raise interesting questions of cause and effect for which further, longitudinal studies are required to establish temporal relationship between these factors and the onset, cause, and treatment of OFP.
Adolescent↗
Dyadic relationship conflict, gender, and mortality in urban hemodialysis patients.
The effects of dyadic satisfaction and conflict have not been well defined in the hemodialysis (HD) population. The aim of this study was to determine whether the perception of decreased dyadic satisfaction was associated with mortality in patients treated with HD, and if so, whether there were different relationships between risk factors, and differential outcomes in men and women. A total of 174 HD patients, primarily African-Americans, involved in dyadic relationships for more than 6 mo had indices of dyadic satisfaction, depression, perception of illness effects, social support, behavioral compliance with the dialysis prescription, and plasma interleukin-1 (IL-1) and beta-endorphin levels measured. Cox proportional hazards models assessed relative mortality risks. Patients' dyadic satisfaction scores correlated with beta-endorphin levels. There was no correlation of IL-1 or beta-endorphin with any psychosocial or behavioral compliance measure in the group as a whole. Correlations between psychosocial, medical, and neuroimmunologic variables were different in men and women. For women, dyadic satisfaction correlated with beta-endorphin levels, depression, and perception of illness. Women with higher dyadic satisfaction and decreased dyadic conflict were at decreased mortality risk, but dyadic adjustment indices were unassociated with differential survival in the larger group of men. Correlations between neuroendocrine and immune markers are different in African-American male and female HD patients. Greater dyadic satisfaction and lower dyadic conflict are independently associated with decreased mortality in female African-American HD patients, of the same order of magnitude as medical risk factors. Such effects may be attributable to a relationship between dyadic satisfaction and conflict and health-related behaviors, or through an effect on neuroendocrine or immunologic status.
Adult↗
Parents' perceptions of children with chronic illness: a study of immigrant Chinese families.
This article describes and discusses parents' perceptions of a children with a long-term health problems in 16 Chinese immigrant families and 15 Euro-Canadian families. These data are part of a larger study, the purpose of which was to explore the illness experience and help-seeking behavior of these families. The data show that the Euro-Canadian parents see the illness or disability as affecting only particular aspects of the child's life, while the child as a whole is seen as normal. The Chinese parents more frequently describe the illness as having global effects on many aspects of the child's present and future life. These differences in perception are discussed in relation to literature about Chinese culture and the experience of immigration. It is suggested that how a parent perceives a child's illness affects how a parent cares for the child and interacts with health care providers.
Attitude to Health↗
The meaning of breast cancer.
Breast cancer patients' perception of illness could influence preferences in decision-making. According to Lipowsky, the meaning of illness might influence coping abilities and he suggests eight categories of meaning as prevalent in our culture: 'challenge', 'enemy', 'punishment', 'weakness', 'irreparable loss', 'relief', 'strategy' and 'value'. In this study 187 Swedish breast cancer patients chose one of these eight categories as their meaning of breast cancer. 'Challenge' was chosen most often, by 33% of all patients and by 40% of patients in middle life (51-65 years). Older patients (> or = 66 years) chose 'challenge' less frequently (17%) but chose 'relief', 'strategy' or 'value' more often than younger patients. The few patients with metastatic disease chose 'enemy', 'punishment', 'weakness' and 'irreparable loss' more often than patients in the earlier stages of disease. There were differences in perception of illness depending on patients' age and stage of disease but not depending on their preferences in decision-making.
Adaptation, Psychological↗
Children's perceptions of health and illness: images and lay concepts in preadolescence.
Despite a growing body of research into children's concepts of illness, many basic questions still remain. This study aims to describe 8- to 11-year olds' lay beliefs of health, illness, health promotion and disease prevention. Children responded to open-ended questions about health and illness by drawing and writing their responses. Two primary schools of two small towns of Békés County, Hungary, were invited to participate. The sample consisted of 128 primary school students (57% males and 43% females), one class from each of Grades 3, 4 and 5 within each location. Consistent with previous findings, the children of this sample have considerable knowledge about health, illness and disease risks. In addition, they seem health conscious and hold positive attitudes toward health and health promotion. Many respondents demonstrated a biomedical approach to health. At the same time, holistic views of health were also common. Children's past experiences (e.g. trivial infections) may play an important role in their concepts of disease causation. Ideas about health promotion were especially varied, with a few children describing complex guidelines.
Child↗
Role of patients' view of their illness in predicting return to work and functioning after myocardial infarction: longitudinal study.
OBJECTIVE: To examine whether patients' initial perceptions of their myocardial infarction predict subsequent attendance at a cardiac rehabilitation course, return to work, disability, and sexual dysfunction. DESIGN: Patients' perceptions of their illness were measured at admission with their first myocardial infarction and at follow up three and six months later. SETTING: Two large teaching hospitals in Auckland, New Zealand. SUBJECTS: 143 consecutive patients aged under 65 with their first myocardial infarction. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Attendance at rehabilitation course; time before returning to work; measures of disability with sickness impact profile questionnaire for sleep and rest, social interaction, recreational activity, and home management; and sexual dysfunction. RESULTS: Attendance at the rehabilitation course was significantly related to a stronger belief during admission that the illness could be cured or controlled (t = 2.08, P = 0.04). Return to work within six weeks was significantly predicted by the perception that the illness would last a short time (t = 2.52, P = 0.01) and have less grave consequences for the patient (t = 2.87, P = 0.005). Patients' belief that their heart disease would have serious consequences was significantly related to later disability in work around the house, recreational activities, and social interaction. A strong illness identity was significantly related to greater sexual dysfunction at both three and six months. CONCLUSIONS: Patients' initial perceptions of illness are important determinants of different aspects of recovery after myocardial infarction. Specific illness perceptions need to be identified at an early stage as a basis for optimising outcomes from rehabilitation programmes.
Activities of Daily Living↗
Cornell Medical Index responses and mortality in a Polynesian population.
The Cornell Medical Index (CMI) is a health questionnaire consisting of a somatic division, divided into 12 sections organized by organ systems, and a psychosocial division. It has been suggested that the CMI taps a dimension of the perception of illness before clinical measurements detect disease. However, this has not been confirmed in nonwestern populations. Our purpose was to determine if the CMI predicted 6-year mortality in a Polynesian population. In 1975, 461 American Samoan men responded to the CMI. Thirty-one died between 1976 and 1981, 13 of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A logistic model was used to predict both total and CVD mortality during the follow-up period. Positive responses to the total, somatic, and psychosocial divisions of the CMI did not significantly improve prediction of mortality compared to models using only age. An analysis using section scores showed that several somatic sections were associated with CVD mortality, but none were associated with total mortality. This study suggests that the CMI is not a strong predictor of mortality and, by extension, of existing health status in American Samoa. Even if the CMI does measure the perception of illness, one cannot assume a priori that it is valid in any given anthropological population. Rather, the instrument must be pretested in each particular cultural setting.
Adolescent↗
Perceptions of a critically ill patient experiencing therapeutic paralysis in an ICU.
Prolonged therapeutic paralysis with pancuronium is commonly used in ICUs to facilitate mechanical ventilation of patients with respiratory failure. Sedation is usually given concomitantly to reduce patient discomfort, but assessment of its adequacy is made difficult by the paralysis. We recently cared for a former ICU nurse who required prolonged mechanical ventilation and paralysis and received morphine as a sedative. When she recovered, she was able to relate her experiences. She stressed the need for very frequent reorientation to time and her desire for constant explanation and re-explanation of all procedures being done by the nursing and physician staff. Her experiences provide insights that allow all ICU staff to provide better care for patients requiring therapeutic paralysis.
Adult↗
School re-entry for the child with chronic illness: parent and school personnel perceptions.
PURPOSE: The number of children returning to school with chronic illnesses has increased during the past decade. Studies have suggested that school personnel are not well informed about chronic illness, receive little or no training, and feel unprepared to deal with these children in the classroom. Few studies address the concerns of parents when their children return to school. The purpose of the study was to identify and describe specific concerns and educational needs of parents and school personnel. METHOD: Telephone interviews were conducted with 21 parents. Twenty-four questionnaires were completed by school personnel, social workers, principals, psychologists, teachers, and school nurses. Content analysis was used to explore the data for recurrent themes. FINDINGS: Five areas of concern were evident in the survey responses of parents and school personnel: (a) how parents informed the school about the child's illness (breaking the news), (b) the processes related to the child's actual re-entry into the school (making the transition), (c) the ongoing monitoring of the child's health status both parents and teachers felt necessary (watching the child), (d) the need to teach school personnel about unexpected health problems (teaching the teachers), and (e) school personnel's expectations for the child (working with the child). Specific examples of positive and negative experiences related to these themes are provided.
Adolescent↗
Insight and psychosis: a social perspective.
The last 5 years have seen a resurgence of interest in insight, with better definitions and operationalizations of the concept. However, recent work has paid little attention to the ways in which patients' understanding of their illnesses may be shaped by perceptions of mental illness and treatment prevailing in their cultures and social groups. We review work by social scientists on cultural and social variations in lay perceptions of mental illness and on the stigma attached to mental illness, and argue that these varying views are likely to be one of the influences on insight, requiring further exploration in research on this subject.
Attitude↗
Maternal perceptions of pediatric providers for children with chronic illnesses.
OBJECTIVE: To identify maternal perceptions of general and subspecialty pediatric providers of children with selected chronic illnesses. METHOD: Cross-sectional analyses of survey data. Sample was recruited from eight specialty and four general pediatric practices in an urban setting. Interviews were conducted with mothers of 159 children with one of four chronic illnesses: sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, and moderate/severe asthma. About 56% of the participants were white; 40% were African-American; 11% were receiving public assistance. The main outcome measures were maternal reports of which pediatric providers: are visited in the past year, are seen most frequently, have been seen over the longest period of time, relied on most, and know their family best. Rates of dissatisfaction with these providers are also reported. RESULTS: Overall, more mothers reported that they relied on their general pediatric providers, saw them more frequently, and had longer relationships with them than their subspecialty pediatric providers. However, mothers were more satisfied with the care they received from their subspecialty providers than from their primary care providers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings illustrate the complexity of maternal perceptions of the different roles that general and subspecialty pediatric providers play in the care of children with chronic illness.
Anemia, Sickle Cell↗
[Perception and insight of illness in schizophrenic patients].
A review of prevalence and causes of low insight in schizophrenic patient as well as of possible interventions. Low insight was found in 20-80% of cases. The complex phenomenon 'lack of insight' is caused by a common pathway of different psychopathological and adaptive processes: psychotic reality distortion, psychotic resistance ('denial') and the expression of neurobiological deficits ('anosognosia'), respectively. Step by step, the subjective awareness and the individual causal model of the patient have to be adopted to the medical disorder model ('vulnerability-stress-coping concept') to achieve a functional understanding of the disorder that is optional for good cooperation between patient, relatives and professional carers. Thereby, a strengthening of the negative self-image and of the weakened autonomy should be given special attention to prevent hopeless-suicidal developments.
Humans↗