title: Exploring the experiences of people with hypo- and hyperthyroidism.
abstract: Thyroid diseases evoke a complex range of psychological and physical symptoms. The psychosocial aspects of living with diseases causing hypo- or hyperthyroidism are poorly understood. In this article, we report the findings of a qualitative interview study in which we explored the lived experiences of 16 people with hypo- or hyperthyroidism. We purposefully selected participants from Danish outpatient clinics according to their diagnosis (Hashimoto's thyroiditis or Graves' disease with or without orbitopathy), age (18 to 65 years), and duration of treatment (more than 6 months). We used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) as a theoretical frame and analytical approach and identified three superordinate themes: losing control over mental and physical states, ambiguous signs of disease, and negotiating sickness. We discuss the findings in the context of the recent literature on chronic illness and argue that these themes play an important role in the conceptualization and management of thyroid diseases.
authors.affiliation: National Research Center for the Working Environment, Copenhagen, Denmark man@nrcwe.dk.
authors.forename: Mette A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Nexø
authors.affiliation: Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Torquil
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watt
authors.affiliation: Steno Diabetes Center, Gentofte, Denmark.
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cleal
authors.affiliation: Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Laszlo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hegedüs
authors.affiliation: Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Steen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Bonnema
authors.affiliation: Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Åse K
authors.initials: ÅK
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: Copenhagen University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ulla
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Feldt-Rasmussen
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: Jakob B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Bjorner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003718:Denmark; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000523:psychology*; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D036301:Qualitative Research
keywords: illness and disease, chronic; illness and disease, experiences; interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA); qualitative analysis; quality of life; rehabilitation; research, qualitative