Qualitative Study on Patient Distress and Needs in Chronic Illness: Cardiovascular, Cerebrovascular, and Chronic Renal Diseases

Abstract

Background: We examined various types of distress and needs experienced by patients with chronic illness.Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with 35 patients with cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and chronic renal diseases.Results: The majority of participants reported experiencing physical distress, such as pain from symptoms or after-effects. They also felt burdensome to others and saw a decrease in their social relationships because of physical limitations caused by their chronic illness. Besides symptom management, they expressed a need for psychological counselling to cope with psychosocial distress.Conclusions: The findings suggest the importance of integrative management for patients with chronic illness, addressing both physical symptoms and psychosocial distress.