1. Older couples’ management of multiple-chronic illnesses: Individual and shared perceptions and coping in Type 2 diabetes and osteoarthritis
- Author
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Jeremy B. Yorgason, Leslie Carpenter, Brandan E. Wheeler, Dawn Higley, Susanne Olsen Roper, Rebekah Byron, Rachel Sheffield, Kristen Crane, and Jonathan G. Sandberg
- Subjects
Male ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Coping (psychology) ,genetic structures ,media_common.quotation_subject ,MEDLINE ,Type 2 diabetes ,Interviews as Topic ,Multiple Chronic Illnesses ,Interpersonal relationship ,Qualitative analysis ,Perception ,Adaptation, Psychological ,Osteoarthritis ,medicine ,Humans ,Interpersonal Relations ,Spouses ,Psychiatry ,Applied Psychology ,Aged ,media_common ,Aged, 80 and over ,business.industry ,Middle Aged ,medicine.disease ,Psychiatry and Mental health ,Caregivers ,Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ,Spouse ,Chronic Disease ,Female ,business ,Attitude to Health ,psychological phenomena and processes ,Clinical psychology - Abstract
Using data from interviews with 28 older couples in which 1 spouse was diagnosed with diabetes and osteoarthritis, we examined illness perceptions and coping activities as they relate to illness management and relationship resilience. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts revealed categories of data related to perceptions, coping, and cross category comparisons. Findings suggest that couples experience both negative and positive perceptions of their illnesses, indicating a balance between the reality of their illness challenges and an optimistic outlook of the future. Coping activities included a variety of tasks and were performed by individuals, by both spouses in a shared effort, and by individuals and shared couple efforts. Findings highlight the complexity of individual and shared couple illness perception and couple efforts in managing multiple-chronic illnesses.
- Published
- 2010