Restricted accessResearch articleFirst published online 2021-9
Living well with chronic illness: How social support,loneliness and psychological appraisals relate to well-being in a population-based European sample
Positive social and psychological appraisals may help maintain well-being in illness, but few studies have systematically investigated this in a European context. After controlling for sociodemographic, health and objective social factors, we employed multilevel regression modelling to establish if appraisals predict well-being in three illness groups (n = 10,577). In addition to health and financial status, positive appraisals were consistent predictors of well-being. Social appraisals had stronger associations with well-being than extent of social contact. Optimism and resilience appeared more important in those limited by health than those who were not. Findings may inform interventions aimed at supporting people coping with illness.
BekkerMHvan Mens-VerhulstJ (2007) Anxiety disorders: Sex differences in prevalence, degree, and background, but gender-neutral treatment. Gender Medicine4: S178–S193.
2.
BoylePABarnesLLBuchmanAS, et al. (2009) Purpose in life is associated with mortality among community-dwelling older persons. Psychosomatic Medicine71(5): 574–579.
3.
BrennanPPerolaMvan OmmenG-J, et al. (2017) Chronic disease research in Europe and the need for integrated population cohorts. European Journal of Epidemiology32(9): 741–749.
4.
BusseRBlümelM (2010) Tackling Chronic Disease in Europe: Strategies, Interventions and Challenges. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office Europe.
5.
CalSFde SáLRGlustakME, et al. (2015) Resilience in chronic diseases: A systematic review. Cogent Psychology2(1): 1024928.
6.
CardolMJongBDWardCD (2002) On autonomy and participation in rehabilitation. Disability and Rehabilitation24(18): 970–974.
7.
ChakhssiFKraissJTSommers-SpijkermanM, et al. (2018) The effect of positive psychology interventions on well-being and distress in clinical samples with psychiatric or somatic disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Psychiatry18(1): 211.
8.
De RidderDGeenenRKuijerR, et al. (2008) Psychological adjustment to chronic disease. The Lancet372(9634): 246–255.
9.
DeciELRyanRM (2008) Self-determination theory: A macrotheory of human motivation, development, and health. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie Canadienne49(3): 182–185.
10.
Delle FaveABassiMAllegriB, et al. (2017) Beyond disease: Happiness, goals, and meanings among persons with multiple sclerosis and their caregivers. Frontiers in Psychology8: 2216.
11.
DezutterJLuyckxKWachholtzA (2015) Meaning in life in chronic pain patients over time: Associations with pain experience and psychological well-being. Journal of Behavioral Medicine38(2): 384–396.
12.
DienerEChanMY (2011) Happy people live longer: Subjective well-being contributes to health and longevity. Applied Psychology3(1): 1–43.
13.
DuBoisCMLopezOVBealeEE, et al. (2015) Relationships between positive psychological constructs and health outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease: A systematic review. International Journal of Cardiology195: 265–280.
14.
EdwardK (2013) Chronic illness and wellbeing: Using nursing practice to foster resilience as resistance. British Journal of Nursing22(13): 741–746.
15.
EiserJRRiaziAEiserC, et al. (2001) Predictors of psychological well-being in types 1 and 2 diabetes. Psychology & Health16(1): 99–110.
GeerlingBKraissJKeldersS, et al. (2019) The effect of positive psychology interventions on well-being and psychopathology in patients with severe mental illness; A meta-analysis. Bipolar Disorders21(S1): 126–127.
18.
GheshlaghRGSayehmiriKEbadiA, et al. (2016) Resilience of patients with chronic physical diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal18(7): e38562.
19.
GoldenJConroyRMBruceI, et al. (2009) Loneliness, social support networks, mood and wellbeing in community-dwelling elderly. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry24(7): 694–700.
20.
HanlyPMaguireRCeilleachairAO, et al. (2018) Financial hardship associated with colorectal cancer survivorship: The role of asset depletion and debt accumulation. Psycho-Oncology27(9): 2165–2171.
21.
HurtCSBurnDJHindleJ, et al. (2014) Thinking positively about chronic illness: An exploration of optimism, illness perceptions and well-being in patients with Parkinson’s disease. British Journal of Health Psychology19(2): 363–379.
22.
JangYMortimerJAHaleyWE, et al. (2004) The role of social engagement in life satisfaction: Its significance among older individuals with disease and disability. Journal of Applied Gerontology23(3): 266–278.
23.
KarademasEC (2006) Self-efficacy, social support and well-being: The mediating role of optimism. Personality and Individual Differences40(6): 1281–1290.
24.
KimJHMcMahonBTHawleyC, et al. (2016) Psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability: A virtue based model. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation26(1): 45–55.
25.
LamersSMWesterhofGJBohlmeijerET, et al. (2011) Evaluating the psychometric properties of the mental health continuum-short form (MHC-SF). Journal of Clinical Psychology67(1): 99–110.
26.
LamuANOlsenJA (2018) Yes, health is important, but as much for its importance via social life: The direct and indirect effects of health on subjective well-being in chronically ill individuals. Health Economics27(1): 209–222.
27.
LeeVE (2000) Using hierarchical linear modeling to study social contexts: The case of school effects. Educational Psychologist35(2): 125–141.
28.
McDowellI (2010) Measures of self-perceived well-being. Journal of Psychosomatic Research69(1): 69–79.
29.
MaguireRHanlyPMaguireP (2019) Beyond care burden: Associations between positive psychological appraisals and well-being among informal caregivers in Europe. Quality of Life Research28: 2135–2146.
30.
MaguireRHanlyPDrummondFJ, et al. (2018) Expecting the worst? The relationship between retrospective and prospective appraisals of illness on quality of life in prostate cancer survivors. Psycho-oncology27(4): 1237–1243.
31.
NaikADDyerCBKunikME, et al. (2009) Patient autonomy for the management of chronic conditions: A two-component re-conceptualization. The American Journal of Bioethics9(2): 23–30.
32.
O’CampoPSalmonCBurkeJ (2009) Neighbourhoods and mental well-being: What are the pathways?Health & Place15(1): 56–68.
33.
ReblinMUchinoBN (2008) Social and emotional support and its implication for health. Current Opinion in Psychiatry21(2): 201–205.
34.
RyffCDSingerB (1996) Psychological well-being: Meaning, measurement, and implications for psychotherapy research. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics65(1): 14–23.
35.
RyffCDSingerB (1998) The contours of positive human health. Psychological Inquiry9(1): 1–28.
36.
ScheierMFCarverCSBridgesMW (2001) Optimism, pessimism, and psychological well-being. Optimism and Pessimism1: 189–216.
37.
SteptoeADeatonAStoneAA (2015) Subjective wellbeing, health, and ageing. The Lancet385(9968): 640–648.
38.
TaylorMPJenkinsSPSackerA (2011) Financial capability and psychological health. Journal of Economic Psychology32(5): 710–723.
39.
ToppCOstergaardSSondergaardS, et al. (2015) The WHO-5 Well-Being Index: A systematic review of the literature. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics84(3): 167–176.
40.
XuR (2003) Measuring explained variation in linear mixed effects model. Statistics in Medicine22(22): 3527–3541.
Supplementary Material
Please find the following supplemental material available below.
For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.
For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.
