Perceived positive and negative effects of life-threatening illness

Results confirmed the hypothesis that subjects who had closest contact with illness perceived more positive effects than the other two groups; positive effects were primarily in social, family and emotional areas.

Abstract

The assumption that the psychological effects of disease and disability are entirely negative was examined using three groups of subjects with varying degrees of contact with life-threatening illness. It was predicted that subjects with life-threatening illness (closest contact) would perceive more positive features in their lives than would parents who had children with life-threatening illness, or hospital employees. Questionnaires about the effects of physical disability and disease included items selected from existing instruments and items composed to form opposites of selected items. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive questionnaires in one of three orders (positive items first, negative items first, or items randomly intermixed). Results confirmed the hypothesis; subjects who had closest contact with illness perceived more positive effects than the other two groups. Positive effects were primarily in social, family and emotional areas.