title: Exploring the relationship between multi-morbidity, resilience and social connectedness across the lifecourse.
abstract: Multi-morbidity is receiving considerable attention in public policy, health and social care. From the perspective of the individual, multi-morbidity is a more complex experience than solely having a clinical diagnosis. In this article, we will argue that understanding multi-morbidity can be facilitated by considering the relationship between adversity (in this case multi-morbidity), resilience and social connectedness within a life course framework. This provides an approach that can capture the dynamics of social relationships, social connectedness and the fluctuations in the experience of multi-morbidity. We draw on a qualitative study of 17 people who have multiple conditions, but consider themselves as being able to maintain a sense of identity and self over time and in the face of adversity. From their accounts, a more varied picture emerges of living with multi-morbidity. This then depicts a more realistic representation of how each person shapes their multi-morbidity and resilient responses within their own social context, which can help to formulate more effective ways of supporting them.
authors.affiliation: Keele University, UK.
authors.forename: Bie Nio
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Ong
authors.forename: Jane C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Tom
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grime
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015897:Comorbidity; D004739:England; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012944:Social Support
keywords: life course perspective; multi-morbidity; resilience; social connectedness