The Self Regulation Process of Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome: Qualitative research

• Main Authors: Chen, I-Chia, 陳宜家
• Other Authors: Chen
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2009
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/81545650190340493108

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 心理學系 === 97 === Abstract Aims: The study integrated Carver and Scheier’s self-regulation model and Leventhal’s common sense model into the assumptive“ framework of self-regulation process of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients,” by which the process is assisted to be positioned with the understanding of existing beliefs and the context of the bowel symptoms in each individual, whose content of illness representation, reference goals, action intentions, pre-active resource appraisal, and post-active evaluation are found crucially affective to subsequent illness regulation processes. Multiple factors related to the onset, maintenance, deterioration and recovery stages of IBS are, in terms of diachronic process, identified by the comprehension of interactions among the aforementioned variables. Methods: The study adopted semi-structural qualitative interview and the grounded theory procedures of qualitative research to understand individually the illness representation and the regulation process of ten patients, whose experiences and actions are retrospected in the interview in order to understand their subjective phenomena and coping processes. Results and Discussions: The research revealed that an IBS patient may choose different regulation routes depending on one’s illness coherence, illness representation, desired goals other than the cure and action resource at the onset stage. The gap between action goals and actual actions are affected by active resource appraisal and other action goals. The effectiveness of each self-regulation routes rely on one’s knowledge of the disease and the sufficiency of inner and outer resources, leading the patient to maintenance, deterioration, remission or recovery stages. As a chosen route turns to be ineffective, the patient still tends to modulate action strategies, action goals and illness cognition representation for reducing the disparity between the status quo and the reference values. The patient reappraisals and reacts as the illness stage shifts to deterioration or remission, and the experiences of symptoms and regulated actions once again change the illness representation. However, in the maintenance stage, considering that the bowel symptoms are anticipatory, controllable and not fully curable, the patient prefers to modulate action goals in order to adjust negative emotions. Conclusion: The framework proposed in the study with the interview is considered helpful to clinical workers to the extent of exact identification and interpretation of relevant factors regarding the illness processes of IBS patients, thus permitting rapid construction of a suitable, specific and personal treatment program for the patients.