Interpretation of illness in patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai and their associations with life satisfaction, escape from illness, and ability to reflect the implications of illness

作     者：Arndt Büssing Ariane von Bergh Xiao-feng Zhai Chang-quan Ling 

作者机构：Institute of Integrative Medicine Faculty of Medicine Witten/Herdecke University Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Second Military Medical University 

出 版 物：《Journal of Integrative Medicine》 (结合医学学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2014年第12卷第5期

页      面：409-416页

学科分类：12[管理学] 1204[管理学-公共管理] 120402[管理学-社会医学与卫生事业管理(可授管理学、医学学位)] 1004[医学-公共卫生与预防医学(可授医学、理学学位)] 1002[医学-临床医学] 10[医学] 

主　　题：interpretation of illness chronic disease cancer self assessment personal satisfaction clinical trial 

摘      要：The aim of this study is to analyze how patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai interpret their disease, and how these interpretations influence patients＇ life satisfaction, intention to escape from their illness and their ability to reflect on the implications of their illness. METHODS： A cross-sectional study enrolling 142 patients （mean age （50 ±16） years; 63% men, 37% women） with chronic diseases （60% cancer） was recruited in the Changhai Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China and surveyed using standardized questionnaires. RESULTS： Patients with chronic diseases from Shanghai interpreted their illness mostly as an Adverse Interruption of Life （55%）, as a Threat/Enemy （50%）, but also as a Challenge （49%）, and only rarely as a Call for Help （18%） or as a Punishment （13%）. Particularly fatalistic negative （i.e., Threat/Enemy, Adverse Interruption of Life） and strategy-associated disease interpretations （i.e., Relieving Break, Call for Help） were moderately associated with patients＇ intention to escape from illness. In contrast, positive interpretations （i.e., something of Value, Challenge） and also the guilt-associated negative interpretation Failure were moderately related with patients＇ ability to reflect on their illness. However, life satisfaction was weakly associated only with the view that illness might be a Challenge. Interestingly, 58% of those who would see their illness as an Adverse Interruption （AI＋） could see it also as a Challenge （Ch＋）. Detailed analyses showed that AI＋Ch＋ patients differ from their AI＋Chcounterparts significantly with respect to their ability to reflect life and implications of illness （F=9.1 ; P=-0.004）.