Chronic illness in adolescents: a sociological perspective

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Chronic illness in adolescents presents unique sociological challenges.
• Sociological perspectives on illness, particularly deviance, offer frameworks for understanding societal responses.
• Key sociological theories from Freidson, Lorber, and Robinson are central to the ongoing debate.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply a sociological model of deviance to chronic illness in adolescents.
• To explore how societal perceptions, prognosis, responsibility, and stigma influence the lives of chronically ill adolescents.
• To clarify the societal role in the experience of adolescent chronic illness.

Main Methods:

• Sociological analysis of chronic illness in adolescents.
• Presentation and discussion of contrasting theoretical viewpoints (Freidson, Lorber, Robinson).
• Examination of four specific situations involving prognosis, responsibility, and stigma.

Main Results:

• The sociological model of deviance can make societal perceptions and rules explicit.
• Viewing chronically ill adolescents as deviant is a descriptive, value-neutral concept.
• Societal responses are elicited by issues of prognosis, responsibility, and stigma.

Conclusions:

• A sociological model of deviance provides a useful framework for understanding chronic illness in adolescents.
• Explicitly defining the chronically ill adolescent as deviant aids in realistic assessment.
• Recognizing the societal role is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of adolescent chronic illness.