3-1: Quality of Life and Personal Issues in Chronic Illness Flashcards
List the components of quality of life for individuals with chronic illness.
For individuals with chronic illness, quality of life includes: physical functioning, psychological status, social functioning, and the presence and extent of diseases- or treatment-related symptoms.
Indicate how and when denial can be an adaptive response to chronic illness.
Denial can be adaptive immediately after a diagnosis, protecting the person from depression, anxiety, and distress. High initial denial correlates to fewer days in intensive care and fewer signs of cardiac dysfunction in heart attack patients, as well as fewer side effects of treatment.
Identify the conditions that are most conducive to anxiety in the chronically ill.
Anxiety is especially high when people are waiting for test results, receiving diagnoses, awaiting invasive medical procedures, anticipating or experiencing adverse side effects of treatment, expecting major lifestyle changes, feeling dependent on others, or lacking information.
Describe the problems associated with anxiety and depression in the chronically ill.
In the chronically ill, anxiety can cause patients to cope more poorly with treatments such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy, to experience more frequently recurring symptoms, and to experience delays in recovery. Diabetic patients who are high in anxiety show more fluctuations in glucose levels.
Depression increases the risk of severe chronic illness and the rate of onset; complicates adherence and medical decision-making; promotes passivity; and leads to increased mortality.
Explain why it is hard to assess depression in the chronically ill.
Many of the physical signs of depression, such as fatigue, sleeplessness, or weight loss, may also be symptoms of disease or side effects of a treatment
Compare the coping strategies used by the chronically ill and by individuals encountering other kinds of stressful events.
People cope with chronic illness in much the same way that they deal with other stressful events, relying on strategies such as:
• Support/direct problem solving: For example, “I talked to someone to find out more about the situation.”
• Distancing: For example, “I didn’t let it get to me.”
• Positive focus: For example, “I came out of the experience better than I went in.”
• Cognitive/escape avoidance: For example, “I wished that the situation would go away.”
• Behavioral escape/avoidance: For example, efforts to avoid the situation by eating, drinking, or sleeping.
One notable difference, though, is that the chronically ill report fewer active coping methods, such as planning, problem solving, or confrontative coping, and more passive coping strategies, such as positive focus and escape/avoidant strategies.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of self-blame.
The main advantage of self-blame is that it can lead to a sense of control over one’s situation. The main disadvantages are that it can produce guilt, depression, and self-recrimination.
denial
A defense mechanism involving the inability recognize or deal with external threatening events; believed to be an early reaction to the diagnosis of a chronic or terminal illness.
depression
A neurotic or psychotic mood disorder marked especially by sadness, inactivity, difficulty with thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings or dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal thoughts or an attempt to commit suicide.
self concept
An integrated set of beliefs about one’s personal qualities and attributes.
body image
The perception and evaluation of one’s body, one’s physical functioning and one’s appearance.
