title: Health as expanding consciousness: seven women living with multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: The meaning of health as expanding consciousness is explored through stories of seven women who developed multiple sclerosis or rheumatoid arthritis during their lives. Using Newman's hermeneutic-dialectic approach, unstructured interviews were conducted over a 2-year period. Analysis and interpretation of narratives concerning person-environment interactions revealed turning points and separate choice points before four new ways of living including finding simple pleasures, being positive, gaining self-control, and self-differentiation, were found. Support for Newman's stages of expanding consciousness and more comprehensive descriptions of self-transcendence in space and time are presented. Implications for theory development and theory-guided practice are offered.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001315:Australia; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003243:Consciousness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000451:nursing / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*