Patients' Psychological Reactions to Chronic Illness: Are they Associated with Rehabilitation (original) (raw)

Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling

Abstract

The responses of 88 chronically ill patients to an open-ended question about their current experiences were content analysed to yield a set of measures assessing their psychological reactions to their illness. Uncertainty, anxiety, depression, anger expressed directly and indirectly, feelings of helplessness and competence, sociability and positive feelings were assessed by this means. Patients were interviewed during hospitalization and seven months later in the community. On both occasions they rated their handicaps in the areas of mobility, leisure activities, self-care and social relationships. These ratings were combined to provide four measures of rehabilitation. The findings indicate that psychological reactions to chronic illness predict rehabilitation. Improvement in mobility and relationships is perceived by patients who, during earlier hospitalization, experience anxiety and depression, express their anger directly rather than indirectly, and believe social supports to be...

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