Psychosocial problems experienced by patients depending on Crohn’s disease activity: an exploratory study

Abstract

Psychosocial problems experienced by patients depending on Crohn's disease activity: an exploratory study

The Function of Occupational Activity for Health as Perceived by Chronically Ill People

“…The clinical consequences of chronic diseases and the social experiences of those affected by them depend on how a disease develops and on its symptoms (e.g., the way a chronically ill person is treated by others is likely to be related to whether or not the symptoms are visible), as well as on the severity of psychosocial problems experienced [13]. As chronic illness is always accompanied by stress, discomfort, and pain, it requires adjusting life patterns to new daily challenges and creating strategies for protecting one's mental and physical health.…”

“…As chronic illness is always accompanied by stress, discomfort, and pain, it requires adjusting life patterns to new daily challenges and creating strategies for protecting one's mental and physical health. A chronically ill person may, for instance, feel forced to abandon or redefine the social roles they have fulfilled so far, to consider their spending patterns vis-à-vis financial stability, to seek retraining or modify their careers, and/or to accept the fact that their functioning may depend on assistance from family members or other people available to offer service [13][14][15]. A decision about whether to continue employment, to retire permanently, or to go out and find a job after a break thus becomes part of adapting oneself to living with a chronic disease [16].…”