"Is it half full or half empty?" Affective responses to chronic illness

Area of Science:

• Gerontology and Public Health
• Chronic Illness Experience

Background:

• Understanding subjective well-being in older adults with chronic conditions is crucial.
• Previous research has not fully explored the nuances of illness reactions across diverse older populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify types of illness reactions in older adults with osteoarthritis or ischemic heart disease.
• To examine demographic and socioeconomic differences between positive and negative illness responders.

Main Methods:

• A combined qualitative and quantitative approach was used.
• 132 older African-Americans and whites with osteoarthritis or ischemic heart disease were interviewed.
• Responses were coded as positive, negative, or combined reactions to illness.

Main Results:

• The majority of respondents expressed positive or combined reactions, focusing on coping and lifestyle adaptation.
• Negative reactions, characterized by loss of identity and perceived limitations, were less common.
• Negative responders were more likely to be African-American, female, have lower income, perceive greater disease severity, and report more disability.

Conclusions:

• Open-ended questions can help clinicians identify older adults at risk for negative illness experiences.
• Cultural factors and "local worlds of experience" warrant further investigation in subjective well-being research.
• Interventions should consider the diverse ways older adults react to and cope with chronic conditions.