title: The fight for 'health-related normality': a qualitative study of the experiences of individuals living with established inflammatory bowel disease (ibd).
abstract: This article reports on the experiences of individuals living with IBD and identifies a range of coping strategies used by them. Qualitative data from 15 individual interviews and three focus groups were analysed using a grounded theory approach. The main focus is on the emergent core concept of 'health-related normality'. A theoretical framework is proposed to explain how individuals with IBD assess their health-related normality, their fight to maintain it and their need to retain the appearance of normality to others. It is concluded that individuals maintain their health-related normality along certain time and context sensitive continuums rather than fitting into a distinct typology.
authors.affiliation: University of Sunderland, Centre for Primary and Community Care, School of Health, Natural and Social Sciences, UK. nicola.hall@sunderland.ac.uk
authors.forename: Nicola J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Gregory P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Rubin
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dougall
authors.forename: A P S
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Hungin
authors.forename: Joanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neely
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000523:psychology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011582:Psychological Theory; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*