Andy
Retired committee member
Highlights
Objectives
Illness invalidation is a term used to describe when someone's illness experience is delegitimised by another person in the social environment. This study investigated whether illness invalidation was associated with psychological distress in Australian adults managing symptoms of chronic physical health conditions (CPHCs), and whether illness factors were related to levels of illness invalidation experienced.
Methods
In 2022, a large cross-sectional online survey was conducted on adults managing symptoms of CPHCs (e.g., chronic pain, fatigue). Participants self-reported demographic and illness information, health-related self-efficacy, psychological distress, and illness invalidation using validated scales.
Results
The sample data revealed (N = 1610) that illness invalidation was experienced across many symptom categories. Hierarchical regressions indicated that discounting from family members, medical professionals, and the spouse/partner, as well as lack of understanding from family members, was significantly and uniquely associated with psychological distress while controlling for adjustment-related factors. Adults with multiple CPHCs, longer symptom durations and suspected/unconfirmed CPHC diagnoses experienced higher illness invalidation.
Conclusions
Illness invalidation, particularly discounting, is common in people managing symptoms of CPHCs and appears to be uniquely associated with psychological distress. Future research should attend to illness invalidation in adjustment and reducing invalidating experiences for people with CPHCs.
Open access, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163834324002068
- Illness invalidation occurs for people managing a range of chronic health symptoms.
- Psychological distress was associated with illness invalidation from three sources.
- Illness invalidation from family members was most strongly associated with distress.
- Multimorbidity and longer symptom duration indicated higher illness invalidation.
- Adults with unconfirmed diagnoses felt more misunderstood by medical professionals.
Objectives
Illness invalidation is a term used to describe when someone's illness experience is delegitimised by another person in the social environment. This study investigated whether illness invalidation was associated with psychological distress in Australian adults managing symptoms of chronic physical health conditions (CPHCs), and whether illness factors were related to levels of illness invalidation experienced.
Methods
In 2022, a large cross-sectional online survey was conducted on adults managing symptoms of CPHCs (e.g., chronic pain, fatigue). Participants self-reported demographic and illness information, health-related self-efficacy, psychological distress, and illness invalidation using validated scales.
Results
The sample data revealed (N = 1610) that illness invalidation was experienced across many symptom categories. Hierarchical regressions indicated that discounting from family members, medical professionals, and the spouse/partner, as well as lack of understanding from family members, was significantly and uniquely associated with psychological distress while controlling for adjustment-related factors. Adults with multiple CPHCs, longer symptom durations and suspected/unconfirmed CPHC diagnoses experienced higher illness invalidation.
Conclusions
Illness invalidation, particularly discounting, is common in people managing symptoms of CPHCs and appears to be uniquely associated with psychological distress. Future research should attend to illness invalidation in adjustment and reducing invalidating experiences for people with CPHCs.
Open access, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163834324002068