Rights statement: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Disability and Rehabilitation on 02/08/2019, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638288.2019.1645217
Accepted author manuscript, 339 KB, PDF document
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Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Experiences of living with dystonia
AU - Morgan, Andrew
AU - Eccles, Fiona
AU - Greasley, Pete
N1 - This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Disability and Rehabilitation on 02/08/2019, available online: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09638288.2019.1645217
PY - 2021/5/31
Y1 - 2021/5/31
N2 - Purpose: Dystonia is a chronic and incurable movement disorder. This qualitative study aimed to enhance understanding of the condition by exploring the experience of living with dystonia. Method: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse data gathered through semi-structured interviews. Eight participants were recruited via a UK based dystonia charity. Results: Three superordinate themes emerged from the data: (1) Dealing with ignorance and uncertainty: navigating health services with a rare, poorly understood condition; (2) The challenge of social isolation: overcoming barriers to positive social identity; and (3) Fear of psychological explanations: the impact of stigmatised attitudes towards psychological explanations for dystonia symptoms. Conclusion: Coping with a rare and chronic condition led to participants feeling isolated and stigmatised by health care services and their communities. Participants were able to overcome this challenge to their identities through the use of social support, particularly from other people with dystonia. Recommendations for reducing the stigmatising experiences of people with dystonia can help to ease the process of adjustment to the illness and enable people to pursue meaningful lives and positive identities. Recommendations for research are aimed at increasing knowledge about these processes.
AB - Purpose: Dystonia is a chronic and incurable movement disorder. This qualitative study aimed to enhance understanding of the condition by exploring the experience of living with dystonia. Method: Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to analyse data gathered through semi-structured interviews. Eight participants were recruited via a UK based dystonia charity. Results: Three superordinate themes emerged from the data: (1) Dealing with ignorance and uncertainty: navigating health services with a rare, poorly understood condition; (2) The challenge of social isolation: overcoming barriers to positive social identity; and (3) Fear of psychological explanations: the impact of stigmatised attitudes towards psychological explanations for dystonia symptoms. Conclusion: Coping with a rare and chronic condition led to participants feeling isolated and stigmatised by health care services and their communities. Participants were able to overcome this challenge to their identities through the use of social support, particularly from other people with dystonia. Recommendations for reducing the stigmatising experiences of people with dystonia can help to ease the process of adjustment to the illness and enable people to pursue meaningful lives and positive identities. Recommendations for research are aimed at increasing knowledge about these processes.
KW - Dystonia
KW - identity
KW - interpretative phenomenological analysis
KW - rare diseases
KW - social isolation
U2 - 10.1080/09638288.2019.1645217
DO - 10.1080/09638288.2019.1645217
M3 - Journal article
VL - 43
SP - 944
EP - 952
JO - Disability and Rehabilitation
JF - Disability and Rehabilitation
SN - 0963-8288
IS - 7
ER -