The Association of Illness Perceptions with Physical and Mental Health in Systemic Sclerosis Patients: An Exploratory Study

Arat, Seher; Verschueren, Patrick; Langhe, Ellen De; Smith, Vanessa; Vanthuyne, Marie; Diya, Luwis; Heede, Koen Van den; Blockmans, Daniel Engelbert; Keyser, Filip De; Houssiau, Frédéric; Westhovens, René

doi:10.1002/msc.223

Cited by 26 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…Coping strategies are rarely evaluated in SSc and their roles in the repercussion of the disease on QoL are largely unknown. Arat and colleagues have evaluated the contribution of illness perceptions and coping strategies on physical and mental health of SSc patients and concluded that “illness representations are more significant contributors to physical and mental health than classical disease characteristics” and that they should be taken into account [30]. Recording coping strategies of patients with SSc could be of interest to determine if certain ways of coping are beneficial or deleterious regarding the repercussions of the disease.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patients’ views and needs about systemic sclerosis and its management: a qualitative interview study

Mouthon

Alami

Boisard

et al. 2017

BMC Musculoskelet Disord

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BackgroundSystemic sclerosis (SSc) is a chronic connective-tissue disease responsible for reduced life expectancy, disability and a decreased quality of life. In order to optimize patients-physicians relationship and care strategy we aimed to survey views of patients on SSc and its management to reveal potential hurdles and improve health care strategies.MethodsA qualitative study combined semi-structured interviews, focus groups, and a direct observation of an information session was performed between November 2008 and January 2009.ResultsTwenty-five patients with SSc were included. They encounter difficulties to have a clear representation of their disease. Physical, psychological, and social repercussions of SSc may lead to a psychological distress and different coping strategies, which widely differ among interviewed patients. Patients’ views on their therapeutic journey and the management of their disease highlighted strong expectations about patient-physician relationship. These expectations were numerous, complex and sometimes ambivalent. Patients expected physicians to be human and attentive but also involved in research in the field and to provide psychological and affective support to help them to accept the uncertainty of disease evolution and lack of curative treatment. They also expected more individualized management, improvements in diagnosis and follow-up organization, more efforts in education and information, comprehensive behaviors and support from working colleagues and relatives, and increased funding from the health care system.ConclusionsOur results suggest that SSc management could be optimized, particularly with more attention to the patient–practitioner relationship. Patient profiles should be more precisely defined in terms of coping strategies and treatment preferences to propose more individualized options.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patients’ views and needs about systemic sclerosis and its management: a qualitative interview study

Mouthon

Alami

Boisard

et al. 2017

BMC Musculoskelet Disord

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“…Moreover, a recent study of HRQOL in SSc patients suggested that the most important determinants of physical and mental health are the patient’s cognitive representations of the illness [22]. Arat et al [22] observed that the fear of clinical consequences and the tendency to attribute each physical complaint to SSc (“illness identity”), are the main contributors to physical health, whereas the emotional responses to personal representation of the disease are the main contributors to mental health.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Arat et al [22] observed that the fear of clinical consequences and the tendency to attribute each physical complaint to SSc (“illness identity”), are the main contributors to physical health, whereas the emotional responses to personal representation of the disease are the main contributors to mental health. In addition to illness perception, the use of various strategies to cope better with the disease is related to physical and mental health [22]. …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of life as measured by the short-form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire in patients with early systemic sclerosis and undifferentiated connective tissue disease

Iudici

Cuomo

Vettori

et al. 2013

Health and Quality of Life Outcomes

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ObjectiveTo investigate health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in patients affected by early systemic sclerosis (eSSc) and to compare it with that of patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD).MethodsAt baseline, 31 eSSc and 35 UCTD patients underwent clinical evaluation, laboratory investigations, nailfold videocapillaroscopy, echocardiography, and lung function tests. All patients and 40 controls, matched for sex and age completed the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire and the Health Assessment Questionnaire Disability Index (HAQ-DI).ResultsSF-36 scores were significantly lower in eSSc and UCTD patients than in healthy controls as regards the following domains: physical component score (PCS), mental component score (MCS), physical functioning, role-physical, bodily pain, general health and mental health. PCS was negatively correlated to the HAQ-DI (rho −0.59; p = 0.0004) and ESR >20 mm/h (rho −0.58; p = 0.0006) in eSSc patients. No statistically significant correlation was found between PCS, MCS and HAQ-DI in UCTD patients. Age, sex, disease duration, history of arthritis, low levels of either C3 or C4, a low DLCO (carbon monoxide lung diffusion) and inversion of the E/A ratio were not correlated to PCS and MCS in either eSSc or UCTD patients.ConclusionMany eSSc or UCTD patients perceive they have an impaired quality of life in both physical and mental domains. This condition has to be taken into account by the clinicians involved in the care of these patients.

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“…The patient's cognitive representations of the disease are the most important determinants of physical and mental health. A recent study suggested that the fear of clinical consequences and the tendency to attribute each physical complaint to SSc are major contributors to the physical health, while the emotional responses to personal representation of the disease contribute to mental health [13,14]. The "Canadian Scleroderma Patient Survey of Health Concerns and Research Priorities" suggests that patients with SSc are more unsatisfied with healthcare than other chronically ill patients [2], because SSc involves more visible physical disfigurement that tends to worse over time, contributing to high psychological morbidity (more depressive symptoms and anxiety) [15], regular use of healthcare and related increased costs.…”

Section: Features Related To Quality Of Life In Ssc Patientsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of life in systemic sclerosis

Almeida

Vasconcelos

2015

Autoimmunity Reviews

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The Association of Illness Perceptions with Physical and Mental Health in Systemic Sclerosis Patients: An Exploratory Study

Abstract: Illness representations contribute more than classical disease characteristics to physical and mental health.

Cited by 26 publications

References 36 publications

Patients’ views and needs about systemic sclerosis and its management: a qualitative interview study

Patients’ views and needs about systemic sclerosis and its management: a qualitative interview study

Quality of life as measured by the short-form 36 (SF-36) questionnaire in patients with early systemic sclerosis and undifferentiated connective tissue disease

Quality of life in systemic sclerosis

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