Explanatory models of women with multiple sclerosis

The primary focus of this study is on how women explain, experience and manage their chronic illness, multiple sclerosis (MS). These explanatory models provide beliefs about sickness and treatment, guide choices among available therapies, and give social meaning to the experience of illness. Much of the existing research is written from an \u27outsider\u27s\u27 perspective and generally refers to the person with MS as diseased, that is, someone who is impaired. This does not allow for an intimate and richly descriptive approach to illness, meaning and care. This study examined the experience of multiple sclerosis from an \u27insider\u27s\u27 point of view, focusing directly on the subjective experience of living with, and in spite of, a chronic illness. The sample for this study consisted of 30 women between the ages of 30-60 at the time of recruitment, who were diagnosed with MS for at least two years. The sample was chosen from the MS Clinic at a large urban teaching hospital, two long-term care facilities, a health food store, and through snowball sampling. The primary data source was audiotaped and transcribed field interviews in which participants were encouraged to present personal narratives about their experiences with MS. In addition, participant observation, examination of medical charts and personal documents, and conversations with field consultants provided data. Results of this study showed that a wide range of disease attributions were given by the participants. Another finding showed that in making decisions for the treatment of their MS, this sample assembled a multi-optioned treatment plan, including alternative therapies. Seventy percent of the sample had utilized alternative treatments for their MS. Most often used in conjunction with traditional medical treatments, those who used alternatives therapies represented a diverse spectrum of the sample. This finding supports research that shows that chronic illness frequently motivates individuals to seek multiple health care options. Implications for social work education include strengthening the ethical commitment to respect diversity, which includes physical disability. Curricular emphasis on the skills necessary for effective social work practice with those who are chronically ill or disabled is also essential