Psychosocial impact of illness intrusiveness moderated by self-concept and age in end-stage renal disease.
This study assesses whether a person's self-concept as a "chronic kidney patient" differentially moderates the psychosocial impact of illness intrusiveness--illness-induced lifestyle disruptions--across the life span. Renal transplant (n = 52) and maintenance dialysis patients (n = 49) completed the illness Intrusiveness Ratings Scale, a semantic-differential self-concept measure, and structured interviews measuring psychosocial well-being and emotional distress. Across ages, distress rose with increasing illness intrusiveness when self-concept was similar, but not dissimilar, to the chronic kidney patient stereotype. The relation between illness intrusiveness and psychosocial well-being differed significantly between younger and older respondents depending on whether they construed themselves as similar versus dissimilar to the chronic kidney patient. Although self-definition moderates the psychosocial impact of chronic disease, this varies across the life span and across affect states.
Devins
G M
GM
Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. gdevins@hsru.clarke-inst.on.ca
Beanlands
H
H
Mandin
H
H
Paul
L C
LC
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D016030:Kidney Transplantation; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D012649:Self Concept