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Fears of disease and disability in elderly primary health care patients

Brorsson, Annika LU ; Lindbladh, Eva LU and Råstam, Lennart LU (1998) In Patient Education and Counseling 34(1). p.75-81
Abstract
Some diseases are more frightening than others to patients and every culture or society has its own most dreaded disease(s). In some previous studies it has been shown that the fears of the patients sometimes have their roots in events in family history. In this qualitative study fourteen men and women aged 66-83 years, all of whom were primary care patients were interviewed with regard to their fears in connection with their present symptoms as well as in general. The results showed that diseases believed to entail disability, bodily changes and/or loss of control over body or environment, were the most feared. These diseases are also likely to stigmatise or shame the bearer, i.e., to change the identity for the worse. This is in line... (More)
Some diseases are more frightening than others to patients and every culture or society has its own most dreaded disease(s). In some previous studies it has been shown that the fears of the patients sometimes have their roots in events in family history. In this qualitative study fourteen men and women aged 66-83 years, all of whom were primary care patients were interviewed with regard to their fears in connection with their present symptoms as well as in general. The results showed that diseases believed to entail disability, bodily changes and/or loss of control over body or environment, were the most feared. These diseases are also likely to stigmatise or shame the bearer, i.e., to change the identity for the worse. This is in line with other studies, where control and autonomy is demonstrated to be essential for elderly people's self-esteem. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Identity, Primary health care, Elderly patients, Control, Disability, Fear of disease
in
Patient Education and Counseling
volume
34
issue
1
pages
75 - 81
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:9697559
  • scopus:0032077440
ISSN
0738-3991
DOI
10.1016/S0738-3991(98)00052-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dcd3d042-d933-4645-bf50-5d9b1c4ad7d8 (old id 1113725)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:41:14
date last changed
2022-01-26 08:44:53
@article{dcd3d042-d933-4645-bf50-5d9b1c4ad7d8,
  abstract     = {{Some diseases are more frightening than others to patients and every culture or society has its own most dreaded disease(s). In some previous studies it has been shown that the fears of the patients sometimes have their roots in events in family history. In this qualitative study fourteen men and women aged 66-83 years, all of whom were primary care patients were interviewed with regard to their fears in connection with their present symptoms as well as in general. The results showed that diseases believed to entail disability, bodily changes and/or loss of control over body or environment, were the most feared. These diseases are also likely to stigmatise or shame the bearer, i.e., to change the identity for the worse. This is in line with other studies, where control and autonomy is demonstrated to be essential for elderly people's self-esteem.}},
  author       = {{Brorsson, Annika and Lindbladh, Eva and Råstam, Lennart}},
  issn         = {{0738-3991}},
  keywords     = {{Identity; Primary health care; Elderly patients; Control; Disability; Fear of disease}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{75--81}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Patient Education and Counseling}},
  title        = {{Fears of disease and disability in elderly primary health care patients}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0738-3991(98)00052-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/S0738-3991(98)00052-4}},
  volume       = {{34}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}