Senses of Touch: The Absence and Presence of Touch in Health Care Encounters of Patients with Mental Illness

Christensen, Ivan Lind; Risør, Mette Bech; Grøn, Lone; Reventlow, Susanne

doi:10.1007/s11013-022-09770-9

Cited by 6 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…In addition, our findings illustrate the importance of the meanings that these body practices create; we have shown, for instance, that both empathetic gazing and empathetic touching produce a feeling of shared fragility that enhance the consideration of patients' involvement (Christensen et al, 2023;Kelly et al, 2018) by emphasizing the need to focus on the reactions and thoughts these empathetic body practices elicit in a care-based relationship.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…Others, however, have focused on more affective modes of touching and have illustrated its effectiveness in involving the patient and exchanging cues and information (Cocksedge et al, 2013). In particular, when considering patients with disabilities, research has shown the reactions patients express and has demonstrated their feelings of being left out: When touching is absent or very hardly employed, patients miss the experience of being fully recognized in their relationship with the HP, engendering their feelings of social acceptance, making them feel out of place, and threatening their motivation to participate (Christensen et al, 2023; Gleeson & Higgins, 2009). With respect to touching, our goal is to contribute to the extant literature by understanding how certain touching modes could be linked to the meanings built by HPs both in terms of their own body and those of the patients.…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Now, we will analyze several studies on those body practices in health care sectors that are vital to grasping the HP-patient relationship, together with their potential and their gaps, for a better understanding of PCC implementation in this setting. The body practices are gazing (Foucault, 1963;Juhila et al, 2022;Källestedt et al, 2023;Nagington et al, 2021;Suijker, 2023;Turnbull & Reich, 2023), touching (Christensen et al, 2023;Cocksedge et al, 2013;Gleeson & Higgins, 2009;Kelly et al, 2018), and playing (Finlay et al, 2008;Hardy, 2020;Scholl & Ragan, 2003).…”

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The relevance to PCC of a focus on bodies relies on the opportunities to grasp how and when HPs and patients are in a relation of acknowledgment and involvement. Such a perspective can be conceived as a valuable theoretical and empirical ground to understand how PCC can be based on a relationship of mutual respect and reciprocal recognition of fragility and humanity between HPs and patients (Christensen et al, 2023; Harris, 2016).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Body work and body meanings in patient-centered care

Brizio,

Paolino

2024

Health Care Manage Rev

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Background This study integrates patient-centered care (PCC) research and body work studies to understand how a focus on physical and sensorial aspects in the relationship between health care professionals (HPs) and patients contribute to the implementation of PCC. Purpose To understand how HPs’ body work practices contribute to the implementation of PCC, we investigate the meanings HPs ascribe to their and to patients’ bodies. The goal is to grasp how these practices and meanings, rooted in unexplored sensorial perceptions, account for the emergence of a relationship of mutual acknowledgment between HPs and patients. Methodology Thirty-nine in-depth interviews were carried out with HPs, who interact with patients with disabilities in Italian hospitals. Results HPs engage in different body work practices: adopting a diagnostic gaze and an empathetic gaze, touching, and playing. The diagnostic gaze concurs to create a feeling of promptness between HPs and patients, but also a stronger distance with respect to other practices. The empathetic gaze, touching, and playing are associated with feelings of shared vulnerability and resilience. These shared perceptions and emotions build a common ground and shape a relationship focused on patients’ involvement. Practice Implications Voicing and feedback sessions can be arranged to listen to how HPs interpret their own and patients’ bodies. An organizational culture acknowledging emotions should be promoted to sponsor among HPs the consideration of the sensorial aspects of their connection with patients. The value of bricolage should be observed, where the HPs feel free to readjust tools, spaces, and routines. Sensitivity training exercises should be arranged to understand the interactions with patients with disabilities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 61%

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Theoretical Backgroundmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Body work and body meanings in patient-centered care

Brizio,

Paolino

2024

Health Care Manage Rev

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“…Limited time has been suggested as a barrier for treating both physical and mental problems during a consultation [ 20 , 26 ]. From the patient’s perspective, communicating symptom experiences can be difficult, and some patients feel that they are not taken seriously by their health care provider [ 27 ]. Additionally, the stigma around psychiatric disorders may hinder smooth cancer diagnostics in primary care [ 5 , 20 ], and anticipation of being stigmatised may be a barrier for the patient to disclose symptoms to a health professional [ 5 , 28 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychiatric disorders and the cancer diagnostic process in general practice: a combined questionnaire and register study exploring the patients’ experiences in Denmark

Virgilsen,

Jensen,

Falborg

et al. 2023

Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care

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Objective Patients with psychiatric disorders are at risk of experiencing suboptimal cancer diagnostics and treatment. This study investigates how this patient group perceives the cancer diagnostic process in general practice. Design Cross-sectional study using questionnaire and register data. Setting General practice in Denmark. Subjects Patients diagnosed with cancer in late 2016 completed a questionnaire about their experiences with their general practitioner (GP) in the cancer diagnostic process ( n = 3411). Information on pre-existing psychiatric disorders was obtained from register data on psychiatric hospital contacts and primary care treated psychiatric disorders through psychotropic medications. Logistic regression was used to analyse the association between psychiatric disorders and the patients’ experiences. Main outcome measures Patients’ experiences, including cancer worry, feeling being taken seriously, and the perceived time between booking an appointment and the first GP consultation. Included survey items on the patients’ experiences Items Response categories Combined in analysis Total respondents, n (%) Were you worried that you might have cancer when consulting a GP for the first time? Very much Very much/A great deal 1348 (44.6%)/909 (30.7%) A great deal A little A little/No 396 (13.1%)/334 (11.1%) No I do not know Omitted in analysis 36 (1.2%) Did you tell the GP about your concerns? No No 878 (44.6%) Yes Yes 1089 (55.4%) Did you feel taken seriously when consulting the GP for symptoms? No, not at all No, not at all/Not so much 135 (4.5%)/151 (5.0%) Not so much Yes, to some degree Yes, to some degree/Yes, very much 354 (11.8%)/2258 (75.0%) Yes, very much Not relevant for me Omitted in analysis 111 (3.7%) Are you confident that the GP made the best possible effort before your cancer was diagnosed? No, not at all No, not at all/Not so much 142 (4.3%)/192 (5.8%) Not ...

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