title: Illness perceptions, illness-related problems, subjective health and the role of perceived primal threat: preliminary findings.
abstract: Many theories suggest that a threatening situation impacts health because it affects core needs. Our assumption was that a set of interdependent ;perceived primal threats' to basic human needs (self-preservation, social integration, personal identity and growth, and positive worldview), which result from the presence of a disease, are related to illness perceptions and subjective health. Participants were 121 chronic medical patients. According to the results, perceived primal threat was strongly associated with illness-related perceptions and problems, as well as perceived psychological and overall self-rated health. Also, perceived primal threat mediated the relationship between illness-related factors and subjective health measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Crete, Rethymnon, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Karademas
authors.forename: Argyro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bakouli
authors.forename: Anastasios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bastounis
authors.forename: Fani
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kallergi
authors.forename: Panagiota
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tamtami
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Theofilou
mesh_terms: D001524:Behavioral Medicine; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D055809:Illness Behavior; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology; D010465:Perception; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology; D012649:Self Concept; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires