title: "I am not only a disease, I am so much more". Patients with rheumatic diseases' experiences of an emotion-focused group intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain understanding of how patients with rheumatic diseases experienced participation in an emotion-focused group intervention in terms of influences on their emotional well-being and coping behavior and the processes whereby these influences arose.
  
  
  METHODS
  The intervention, Vitality Training (VTP), was conducted in 10 group sessions over 4 months. Qualitative data were collected from 10 focus group interviews (n=69) two weeks after the intervention. Data were analyzed with a qualitative content analysis approach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Five categories were identified from the analyses: (1) recognizing oneself as both ill and healthy, (2) recognizing own emotions, (3) awareness of own needs, (4) being part of a community and (5) being recognized as a credible patient.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The VTP addressed participants' awareness of emotional and bodily reactions in a process-oriented and supportive group. The program had enhanced participants' recognition of their disease-related emotions and helped them to more actively relate to their own needs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has highlighted how a process-oriented group intervention that combines topics related to life, rather than disease, and learning methods that enhance emotional awareness and adaptive emotional expression can enhance emotional well-being and coping behavior in patients with rheumatic diseases.
authors.affiliation: National Resource Center for Rehabilitation in Rheumatology, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway. heidi.zangi@diakonsyk.no
authors.forename: Heidi A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Zangi
authors.forename: Mona-Iren
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Hauge
authors.forename: Eldri
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Steen
authors.forename: Arnstein
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finset
authors.forename: Kåre Birger
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hagen
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001364:Awareness; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012216:Rheumatic Diseases / Q000523:psychology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology