Families Living With Chronic Illness

Abstract

Beliefs can be described as the lenses through which we view the world. With emerging illness, beliefs about the illness experience become important for nurses to understand to enhance well-being and healing. The aim of this study was to illuminate illness beliefs of families living with chronic illness. A qualitative design was chosen, including repeated narrative research interviews with seven Swedish families living with chronic illness. Hermeneutic analysis was used to interpret the transcribed family interviews. The result described beliefs in families, both within and across families. Both core beliefs and secondary beliefs about illness, family, and health care were revealed. Illness beliefs have importance for how families respond to and manage situations that arise from their encounters with illness. Nurses have to make space for and listen to families' stories of illness to become aware of what beliefs may support and encourage family well-being and healing. The Illness Beliefs Model provides a touchstone whereby nurses can distinguish both individual and shared beliefs within families living with chronic illness and provide ideas for family intervention if needed.

The implications of living with heart failure; the impact on everyday life, family support, co-morbidities and access to healthcare: a secondary qualitative analysis

“…In these circumstances the patient may adopt the ‘sick role’, relying on their family for support both with their illness and previous responsibilities [ 9 ]. It has been reported [ 10 ] that in patients with greater levels of family support, confidence between members is increased, and family ties strengthened, in times of need such as ill-health. Therefore, congruent beliefs about the illness are important in order to achieve successful family functioning and to enhance patient well-being [ 10 ].…”

Evaluation of a psychoeducational intervention compared with education in people with Parkinson's disease and their informal caregivers: a quasi‐experimental study

“…We therefore recommend including homework, individual home sessions and booster sessions in future research to identify significant differences in long-term measurements in patients with PD and their informal caregivers. In clinical practice, it is necessary that health care professionals reinforce the knowledge of patients with PD and their caregivers about the illness over the time, because this knowledge can promote better self-management (Stenberg et al, 2016) and reduce uncertainty (Årestedt et al, 2015;Hurt et al, 2017).…”

A pilot study on the Spanish version of the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale (PAIS‐SR) with carers of people with Parkinson's disease

“…Interestingly, these non-illness-related factors also gain importance for family carers and Navarta-Sánchez et al (2016) concluded that both people with PD and carers' quality of life is clearly influenced by the psychosocial adjustment to illness, which significantly depends on coping skills, regardless the disabling and degenerative nature of PD (Navarta-Sanchez et al, 2017). Consequently, assessments and interventions should not only focus on the patient but also on the family, since it has been established that their experience of the adaptation process is comparable and that similar factors could influence this adjustment (Årestedt, Benzein, & Persson, 2015;Årestedt, Benzein, Persson, & Rämgård, 2016;Årestedt, Persson, & Benzein, 2014;Golics, Basra, Salek, & Finlay, 2013).…”