"It hasn't been such a bad day after all": individual experiences of coping and adjusting to rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Chronic illness and physical disability present a massive challenge to modern industrial societies and will have an increasing impact socially and economically because of the increasing size of the older population. Rheumatoid arthritis accounts for a very significant group of individuals with permanent or temporary disablement in New Zealand. The illness has no known cause nor cure and the particular disease manifestations are unpredictable. This aim of this thesis was to explore personal experiences of individuals who have rheumatoid arthritis, with particular emphasis on how they adjusted to and coped with living with a chronic illness. A person's identity may be an aspect widely neglected in modern clinical practice and there is a need to research how chronic illness and its treatment can affect a person, and consequently how those affects can be managed. Qualitative research methods are characterised by their emphasis on a search for meaning, and are well suited for this type of research. The research method in this thesis focused on the 'lived-experience' of rheumatoid arthritis. By using an inductive analytical approach, with an emphasis on participant concepts, the analysis explored the adjustment demands and coping strategies as described by the research participants. This thesis highlights the physical, social, and emotional impacts. The participants in this study used proactive coping strategies to overcome these challenges and were able to feel in control of their lives. This thesis has a practical contribution to make to study on chronic illness because in New Zealand, whatever social policies or fashions prevail in the future regarding community care or institutional care, most of the physically disabled will live in the community. Therefore, successful adjusting to, and coping with a chronic illness, such as rheumatoid arthritis is an important issue.