Becoming whole again-Caring for the self in chronic illness-A narrative review of qualitative empirical studies.
Senada Hajdarevic, Astrid Norberg, Berit Lundman and 1 others
PMID 38886987WHAT IT FOUND
People with chronic illness describe a journey from feeling threatened and stalemated to finding wholeness.
Key turning points involve peer support, searching for meaning, and adapting identity. Clinicians should listen to these narratives rather than focusing solely on disease management tasks.
Key findings
01The review identified five themes describing the transformation of self: walking on unstable ground, being stalemated, being involved with others, searching for meaning, and modifying self.
02Patients felt disregarded and blamed when healthcare professionals focused only on physical symptoms or self-management tasks without acknowledging the emotional burden.
03Peer support and sharing experiences with others helped patients feel less alone and facilitated a sense of normalcy and hope.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The review is narrative, not systematic, meaning the search and synthesis were interpretive rather than exhaustive or reproducible in a strict systematic sense. The included studies were limited to English-language publications from 2010-2020, potentially missing recent developments or non-Western perspectives. The geographic distribution of studies was heavily skewed towards Europe (20 studies), with very few from Asia and none from Africa, limiting the generalizability of the cultural context. The review excluded psychiatric conditions and cognitive impairments, so the findings apply only to adults with physical chronic illnesses and intact cognition.
Declared interests
No conflicts to report. The study was funded by the Department of Nursing at Umeå University, Sweden.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret this narrative review as evidence that specific interventions improve outcomes. It describes patient experiences and themes, not the efficacy of treatments. The suggested 'wholeness' is a qualitative concept, not a measurable clinical endpoint.