Sick of the sick role: Narratives of what "recovery" means to people with CFS/ME

Cheshire, Anna, Ridge, Damien, Clark, Lucy V ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7162-0512 and White, Peter D (2021) Sick of the sick role: Narratives of what "recovery" means to people with CFS/ME. Qualitative Health Research, 31 (2). pp. 298-308. ISSN 1049-7323

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Abstract

Little is known about what recovery means to those with chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis, a poorly understood, disabling chronic health condition. To explore this issue, semi-structured interviews were conducted with patients reporting improvement (n = 9) and deterioration (n = 10) after a guided self-help intervention, and analyzed via "constant comparison." The meaning of recovery differed between participants-expectations for improvement and deployment of the sick role (and associated stigma) were key influences. While some saw recovery as complete freedom from symptoms, many defined it as freedom from the "sick role," with functionality prioritized. Others redefined recovery, reluctant to return to the lifestyle that may have contributed to their illness, or rejected the concept as unhelpful. Recovery is not always about eliminating all symptoms. Rather, it is a nexus between the reality of limited opportunities for full recovery, yet a strong desire to leave the illness behind and regain a sense of "normality."

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	united kingdom,adaptation,chronic,coping,enduring,experiences,illness and disease,qualitative,recovery,public health, environmental and occupational health,sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2739
Related URLs:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	17 Nov 2020 01:12
Last Modified:	22 Oct 2022 07:28
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/77719
DOI:	10.1177/1049732320969395

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