Illness invalidation from family members, medical professionals, and spouses was significantly associated with psychological distress in adults managing chronic physical health conditions.
Cross-Sectional (n=1,610)
Is illness invalidation associated with psychological distress in adults managing symptoms of chronic physical health conditions?
Illness invalidation, particularly discounting from family and medical professionals, is common and uniquely associated with psychological distress in adults with chronic physical health conditions.
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. 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. 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. 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. • 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.
Woldhuis et al. (Wed,) conducted a cross-sectional in Chronic physical health conditions (n=1,610). Illness invalidation was evaluated on Psychological distress. Illness invalidation from family members, medical professionals, and spouses was significantly associated with psychological distress in adults managing chronic physical health conditions.