A
Ali Janadleh
Abstract
Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the chronic illness that, due to its multiple and stable physical and mental dimensions, has major and continuous consequences on a wide range of aspects of the individual and social life of the patient. This illness has a female face based on its widespread ...
Read More
Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is one of the chronic illness that, due to its multiple and stable physical and mental dimensions, has major and continuous consequences on a wide range of aspects of the individual and social life of the patient. This illness has a female face based on its widespread prevalence among women and also the specific effects it has on women. Nevertheless, in domestic studies, the experience of women with this illness has been less considered, and the few studies that have been conducted are often based on a clinical-medical and quantitative approach. Accordingly, in this article, an attempt is made to study the experience of women with Multiple sclerosis in the social context of Iranian society. Method: According to the main goal of this study, a feminist phenomenological approach has been adopted. Semi-structured interview was conducted with 25 women suffering from this illness who were selected using the purposeful sampling method and Criterion sampling strategy and the interviews were analyzed based on the procedure suggested by Moustakas. Results: Based on the narratives expressed in the interviews, the studied women's experience of Multiple sclerosis illness was formulated in the themes of living in suspension, shame of powerlessness, sexual inactivity, maternity risk and spousal apprehension. "Life in suspense" means that the women participating in this study, in describing and expressing their experience of MS illness, have mentioned the sense of uncertainty and not having a clear and reliable image of the future. "Shame of powerlessness" refers to the fact that the fatigue and disability caused by MS goes beyond the physical dimension, and women with MS feel a kind of shame due to their inability to perform daily activities. "Sexual inactivity" indicates that uncertainty and disability in MS affect the patient's most private activities, especially sexual performance, in such a way that it leads to a change in the research participants' self-perception and endangering personal relationships with their wives. The forth theme is “Risky motherhood”. In such a situation, "motherhood" in women with MS becomes a "risky" issue for both the patient and the child at various fetal stages and thereafter in terms of meeting the child's care needs. Finally, the theme of "marriage anxiety" that refers to research participant concerns about the continuity of married life, worry about the husband's lack of understanding of the patient's situation and etc. Such conditions make marriage and playing the role of a wife a problematic situation for women with MS. Conclusion: According to the extracted themes, the experience of female participants in this research was conceptualized under the main theme of "identity anxiety" that refers to the experience of anxiety and worry about unfulfilled gender identity. This experience and understanding of MS, is a result of the intersection of the experience of chronic illness with gender, the body, and the social context in which a woman's identity is closely tied to pre-defined expectations and roles such as sexual attractiveness, marriage, homemaking, wifehood, motherhood, etc.
mahjube mirnaseri; mona cheraghi; leili panaghi
Abstract
Objective: Myasthenia is an autoimmune disease that leads to disorder of the neuromuscular junctions. Unstable weakness due to movement is characteristic of this disease. Because myasthenia is a chronic disease with debilitating complications and unpredictable progression, psychological reactions are ...
Read More
Objective: Myasthenia is an autoimmune disease that leads to disorder of the neuromuscular junctions. Unstable weakness due to movement is characteristic of this disease. Because myasthenia is a chronic disease with debilitating complications and unpredictable progression, psychological reactions are expected in these patients. Therefore, the present study examines the lived experience of people with myasthenia to look at their psychological issues from the perspective of patients. To provide a platform for professionals to better understand their issues. Method: In this study, 11 people with myasthenia had in-depth semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed by colaizzi method. The present study is a qualitative method of descriptive phenomenology. Findings: This study included 4 main clusters including: 1) experience of using specialized medical services, 2) internal and external effects of the disease, 3) coping methods, 4) satisfaction period after disease control. Conclusion: The results showed that disabilities and limitations and unpredictable living conditions lead to a decrease in the perceived control in individuals and this leads to a negative self-assessment of individuals and increases negative emotions such as depression, anxiety and stress. many patients with post-traumatic stress disorder have experienced post-traumatic growth.
