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Chapter 4 - Psychological Reaction to Physical Illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 January 2024

By
Elspeth Guthrie  and
Marc Mandell
Edited by
Rachel Thomasson ,
Elspeth Guthrie  and
Allan House
Rachel Thomasson
Affiliation:
Manchester Centre for Clinical Neurosciences
Elspeth Guthrie
Affiliation:
Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
Allan House
Affiliation:
Leeds Institute of Health Sciences
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Summary

Physical illness is stressful; however, given time and support, most people manage to adjust and cope with serious physical illness without the need for psychological intervention. Psychological reaction to physical illness refers to a set of cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses which are triggered by the development of physical symptoms or a diagnosis of a physical condition by a healthcare professional. Experiencing and living with illness is a dynamic process and it takes time to assimilate new information, manage feelings and make appropriate adjustments to family and social circumstances. Chronic physical illness usually involves having to make a sequential series of psychological adjustments as the disease progresses.

Keywords

adjustmentillness perceptionresilience
Type
Chapter
Information
Seminars in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry , pp. 48 - 60
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2024

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