Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 10, 2025

Using Visual and Narrative Methods to Achieve Fair Process in Clinical Care
Published on: February 16, 2011
"It was definitely for a purpose that I was born this way": Lived experiences of adolescents with chronic illness
Briana P Keller1, Emily Rothenberg1, Ashton Helveston1
1Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.
Abstract:
Teenagers with chronic illnesses gain uniquely increased awareness of the triumphs, challenges, and responsibilities associated with their condition. Although some studies have explored the experiences of adolescents with cancer, few have studied other chronic illness groups. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological qualitative study was to explore adolescent perceptions of living and growing with a chronic illness. 12 individuals (ages 13-17) diagnosed with one or more chronic health conditions participated in a semi-structured interview. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, five themes were generated by the researchers: (1) trajectory of illness over time, (2) illness- and treatment-related restrictions, (3) interpersonal concerns, (4) reaching acceptance, and (5) perceived gains/benefits. Participants identified negative aspects of a chronic illness while also noting positive impacts on their lives. Despite little overlap in diagnoses, similar themes and experiences were present among participants, suggesting some level of generalizability among chronic health conditions.
Related Concept Videos
Classification of Illness
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe...
Ethnic Identity within a Larger Culture
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results...
Dimensions of Health and Illness
Factors Affecting Illness
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness,...
Concepts of Health and Illness

