title: "Struggle to obtain redress": Women's experiences of living with symptoms attributed to dental restorative materials and/or electromagnetic fields.
abstract: The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of illness and the encounters with health care professionals among women who attributed their symptoms and illness to either dental restorative materials and/or electromagnetic fields, despite the fact that research on health effects from dental fillings or electricity has failed to substantiate the reported symptoms. Thirteen women (aged 37-63 years) were invited to the study and a qualitative approach was chosen as the study design, and data were collected using semi-structured interviews. The analysis was conducted with a constant comparative method, according to Grounded Theory. The analysis of the results can be described with the core category, "Struggle to obtain redress," the two categories, "Stricken with illness" and "A blot in the protocol," and five subcategories. The core category represents the women's fight for approval and arose in the conflict between their experience of developing a severe illness and the doctors' or dentists' rejection of the symptoms as a disease, which made the women feel like malingerers. The informants experienced better support and confirmation from alternative medicine practitioners. However, sick-leave certificates from alternative medicine practitioners were not approved and this led to a continuous cycle of visits in the health care system. To avoid conflicting encounters, it is important for caregivers to listen to the patient's explanatory models and experience of illness, even if a medical answer cannot be given.
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umea, Sweden; lena.marell@umu.se.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mårell
authors.affiliation: Västerbotten County Council, Umea, Sweden.
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lindgren
authors.affiliation: School of Life Sciences, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden.
authors.forename: Kerstin Ternulf
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Nyhlin
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Umeå University, Umea, Sweden.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ahlgren
authors.affiliation: Department of Odontology, Faculty of Medicine, Umeå University, Umea, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berglund
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D000529:Complementary Therapies; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000009:adverse effects; D003815:Dentists; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields / Q000009:adverse effects; D004644:Emotions; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008306:Malingering; D000071896:Medically Unexplained Symptoms; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010820:Physicians; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018582:Sick Leave; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D003723:Dental Amalgam
keywords: Environmental intolerance; dental restorative materials; encounters; qualitative study