title: Illness Representations of Injury: A Comparison of Patients and Their Caregivers.
abstract: This study examined the differences between illness representations of injured patients and those of their caregivers.
  
  
  
  A comparative descriptive survey was used.
  
  
  
  The study setting was the surgical wards of a teaching hospital in Taiwan. Data were collected at 3 to 6 months after hospital discharge. Participants were 127 pairs of injured patients and their caregivers. The participants completed sociodemographic data and completed the Chinese Illness Perception Questionnaire Revised-Trauma, which is composed of eight subscales. Clinical data of the injured patients was obtained from medical records.
  
  
  
  Injured patients and their caregivers were pessimistic about the injury. Patients perceived significantly more physical symptoms than caregivers did. Caregivers for patients who were severely injured or admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) had more negative perceptions than did those who were providing care for moderately injured patients or those not admitted to an ICU. Caregivers who did not share their caring responsibilities had more negative perceptions than did those who shared their caring responsibilities with others.
  
  
  
  This study found that patients and caregivers had negative illness representations several months after injury. Caregivers who provided care for severely injured patients or who did not share caring responsibilities perceived different extents of illness perceptions about the injury. The interventions should highlight the need to assist patients and caregivers after injury.
  
  
  
  Exploring the discrepancies in illness perceptions between injured patients and their caregivers can help clinicians to provide individualized care, and to design interventions that meet patients' and caregivers' needs.
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor & Associate Research Fellow, Department of Nursing & Nursing Department, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology & Chia-Yi Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Bih-O
authors.initials: BO
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor & Associate Research Fellow, Department of Nursing & Nursing Department, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Linkou Campus & Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jun-Yu
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Chia-Yi Campus, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chang-Chiao
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, School of Nursing, Chung Shan Medical University, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiang-Chu
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Pai
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor & Nursing Supervisor, College of Nursing & Department of Nursing, Kaohsiung Medical University & Kaohsiung Medical University Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pi-Ling
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Caregivers; comparative survey; illness representations; injury