Positive change with Ménière's disease

Objective. The aims of this study were twofold: to determine in what way people with a non-fatal chronic illness experience positive change after the onset of their illness, and to determine whether comparing with other people with Ménière's disease influenced perceiving this change. Design. Using a longitudinal method, questionnaires were administered at baseline and at ten-month follow-up. Method. At both time points 301 people with Ménière's disease completed the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and at baseline they also completed questionnaires measuring, demographic variables, disease severity, psychological variables (self-esteem, perceived control, and optimism), and social comparison variables. Results. People with Ménière's disease in this study perceived positive change. Greater positive change was perceived on the domain of 'appreciation of life,' followed by 'relating to others,' 'personal strength,' 'new possibilities,' and 'spiritual change'. In addition, more change was perceived at follow-up than at baseline. Social comparison was associated with perceiving change at both time points. Conclusions. People with Ménière's disease do perceive positive change. Perceiving change is an on-going process for people with Ménière's disease, as they perceived more change over time. Social comparison was related to the perception of change, in particular, to the perception of growth in personal strength. © 2009 The British Psychological Society