Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Illness beliefs in schizophrenia
AU - Kinderman, Peter
AU - Setzu, Erika
AU - Lobban, Fiona
AU - Salmon, Peter
PY - 2006/10
Y1 - 2006/10
N2 - Beliefs about health and illness shape emotional responses to illness, health-related behaviour and relationships with health-care providers in physical illness. Researchers are beginning to study the illness beliefs of people with psychosis, primarily using models developed in relation to physical illness. It is likely that modifications to these models will be necessary if they are to apply to mental disorders, and it is probable that some of the assumptions underlying the models will be inappropriate. In particular, different dimensions of understanding may be present in mental illness in comparison to those identified in physical illness. The present study examines the beliefs of 20 patients in the UK diagnosed with schizophrenia, including 10 currently psychotic inpatients and 10 outpatients in remission, about their experiences, using qualitative interviews and thematic analysis. Patients currently experiencing psychosis did not identify their experiences as separable 'illnesses' and did not have 'illness beliefs'. Patients currently in a period of remission appraised their experiences as distinct from their own normal behaviour, but used conceptual frameworks of understanding that deviated significantly from conventional 'health belief models. Patients' ways of understanding mental illness did not parallel those described in physical illnesses. Methods for assessing beliefs about mental illness should therefore not be transferred directly from studies of beliefs about physical illness, but should be tailored to the nature of patients' beliefs about mental illness. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
AB - Beliefs about health and illness shape emotional responses to illness, health-related behaviour and relationships with health-care providers in physical illness. Researchers are beginning to study the illness beliefs of people with psychosis, primarily using models developed in relation to physical illness. It is likely that modifications to these models will be necessary if they are to apply to mental disorders, and it is probable that some of the assumptions underlying the models will be inappropriate. In particular, different dimensions of understanding may be present in mental illness in comparison to those identified in physical illness. The present study examines the beliefs of 20 patients in the UK diagnosed with schizophrenia, including 10 currently psychotic inpatients and 10 outpatients in remission, about their experiences, using qualitative interviews and thematic analysis. Patients currently experiencing psychosis did not identify their experiences as separable 'illnesses' and did not have 'illness beliefs'. Patients currently in a period of remission appraised their experiences as distinct from their own normal behaviour, but used conceptual frameworks of understanding that deviated significantly from conventional 'health belief models. Patients' ways of understanding mental illness did not parallel those described in physical illnesses. Methods for assessing beliefs about mental illness should therefore not be transferred directly from studies of beliefs about physical illness, but should be tailored to the nature of patients' beliefs about mental illness. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
KW - illness beliefs
KW - mental disorder
KW - schizophrenia
KW - health belief model
KW - insight
KW - psychosis
KW - UK
KW - MENTAL-ILLNESS
KW - MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION
KW - PERCEPTION QUESTIONNAIRE
KW - QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
KW - DEPRESSION
KW - SYMPTOMS
KW - DISORDER
KW - MODELS
KW - PSYCHOSIS
KW - IMPACT
U2 - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.04.022
DO - 10.1016/j.socscimed.2006.04.022
M3 - Journal article
VL - 63
SP - 1900
EP - 1911
JO - Social Science and Medicine
JF - Social Science and Medicine
SN - 0277-9536
IS - 7
ER -