12: Coping with Illness Flashcards
What Is impairment?
impairment refers to a problem with a structure or organ of the body
(poor correlation to disability)
What is a disability?
disability is a functional limitation with regard to a particular activity (strongly correlated with handicap)
What is a handicap?
handicap refers to a disadvantage in filling a role in life relative to a peer group, as a result of impairment and disability
Explain the overall concept of the crisis theory of coping with illness
- Normally: we seek a state of social and psychological equilibrium
- Serious illness presents ‘a crisis’ and our usual, habitual ways of coping are inadequate.
- Leading to: A state of disorganisation, feelings of fear, guilt, sadness etc
- But: crisis needs to end and be adjusted leading to
- Adaptive responses personal growth and adjustment to the illness.
- If it goes wrong: Maladaptive responses poor adjustment (psychological problems, low functioning etc).
What are the difference factors that influence adaptation according to the crisis theory of coping with illness
- Illness related factors
- unexpected
- cause (e.g. self blame)
- outcome+ prognosis,
- disability,
- stigma
- disfigurement
- prior experiences
- Backrund and Personal factors
- age of onset
- gender(? women seek more support?)
- Socioeconomic status (lower= less cping)
- occupation (e.g. professional athlete) ,
- pre-existing illness beliefs and personality
- Physical and Social Environment
- Hospitalisation (being in unknown environment)
- Accommodation and physical aids/adaptations (made to home)
- Societal attitudes
- Social support
- social role (e.g feeling of demascuralisation due tot illness)
What is the influence of an “Open” personality according to the “Big Five” personality traits on health?
no difference
What is the influence of an “Extravert” personality according to the “Big Five” personality traits on health?
Overall: beneficial:
- lower rates of CHD protective respiratory disease
- more likely to have support network
- and seek help
What is the influence of an “Agreeableness” personality according to the “Big Five” personality traits on health?
If negative:
- Hostility associated w/ CHD + poor adjustment to disability
High agreeableness= better adjustment
Explain the role of social support in coping with illness
Very important: the more and higher social network: the better the prognosis
Because: social isolation is bad predictor of disease and mortality (even when adjusted for other risk factors)
Summarist the coping process of the crisis theory of coping with serious illness
Three states:
- coping appraisal
- is influenced by health beliefs and illness representation Adaptation /Adaptive tasks
- Adaptive tasks
- Illness related
- Psychosocial function related
- coping Skills
- Problem Focussed
- Emotional Focussed
What is illness representation?
“A patients own implicit, common sense beliefs about their illness”
Influenced by 5 factors
What are the factors determining illness Representation?
-
Identity:
- the label of the illness and symptoms • E.g. “I have a cold, with a sore throat and runny nose”
-
Cause: what may have caused the problem
- E.g. “My cold was caused by being stressed and run down”
-
Consequences:
- expected effects from the illness and views about the outcome
-
Time-line:
- how long the problem will last and whether it is seen as acute, chronic or episodic
-
Cure/control:
- expectations about recovery or control of the illness
Explain the influence of the individual beliefs about a conditions /illness beliefs on recovery from illness
If positive: can be very good and promote recovery but can also have a negative effect if high percieved illness and diability for recovery
What are adaptive tasks in the process of adaptation according to the Crisis theory of coping with serious illness
- Tasks related to illness or treatment
- Coping with symptoms or disability
- Adjusting to hospital environment/medical procedures
- Developing and maintaining good relationships with healthcare professionals
- Tasks related to general psychosocial functioning
- Controlling negative feelings and retaining a positive outlook
- Maintaining a satisfactory self image and sense of competence
- Preserving good relationships with family and friends
- Preparing for an uncertain future
if managed positively: more likely to adapt to illness and recover faster!
Explain the role of coping skills
Coping= Cognitive and behavioural efforts to master, reduce or tolerate external and internal demands and conflicts’
-
Problem Focussed coping:
- Efforts directed at changing the environment in some way or changing one’s own actions or attitudes.(e.g. increasing revision, changing behavior)
-
Emotion focussed coping:
- Efforts designed to manage the stress-related emotional responses in order to maintain one’s own morale and allow one to function (seeking support, relaxation, meditation)
