Utilizing the Common-Sense model of illness representations to explore children's perceptions of, and coping with ADHD

Adolescents' qualitative expressions of functional seizure illness representation

INTRODUCTION

Adolescents with functional (nonepileptic) seizures experience challenges self-managing this mental health condition, especially at school where adolescents experience stress, bullying, accusations of faking seizures, and stigma. According to the Common Sense Model of Self-Regulation, adolescents' self-management decisions and outcomes may be shaped by their functional seizure illness representation (perceptions or mental depictions formed in response to a health threat). However, current research has only explored adults' functional seizure illness representation; little is known about adolescents. The aim of this study was to explore adolescents' expressions of illness representation characteristics (identity, cause, consequence, controllability/curability, and timeline) when describing their experience attending school with functional seizures.

METHODS

We analyzed qualitative data from 10 adolescents (age 12-19 years, 100% female) from the United States with functional seizures. Data collection occurred in 2019 via semistructured interviews about adolescents' school experiences. The theme of illness representation emerged without prompting adolescents to discuss illness representation or its characteristics. This study involved inductive analyses and magnitude coding of adolescents' unsolicited expressions of illness representation.

RESULTS

All five characteristics of illness representation were mentioned by adolescents; however, not all characteristics were mentioned by all adolescents. Adolescents' expressions of illness representation characteristics resulted in the following descriptive themes: clashing labels and mind-body façade for identity, stress for cause, gains and losses for consequence, control/lack of control for controllability/curability, and no end of seizures in sight for timeline.

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescents' expressions of illness representation reveal perceptions considered "threatening" within the Common Sense Model, especially those expressing lack of controllability/curability and condition timelines with no end in sight. The Common Sense Model offers a framework for understanding how these threatening perceptions may impact health and academic outcomes or change with intervention.

Diabetes representations on adherence and quality of life: Do parents and adolescents differ?

Type 1 diabetes is one of the most frequent chronic diseases in adolescents. To manage diabetes and prevent complications, a set of self-care behaviors needs to be implemented into family daily routines. This study analyzed diabetes representations in adolescents and their parents, the dissimilarities between them, and the relationship between illness dissimilarities and adherence/quality of life (QoL) in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. The sample included 200 participants: 100 adolescents with type 1 diabetes and 100 parents who accompanied the adolescents. Adolescents were assessed on adherence (Self-Care Inventory-Revised), quality of life (Diabetes QoL) and family support (Diabetes Family Behavior Scale). Both adolescents and parents were assessed on illness representations (Brief-Illness Perception Questionnaire). Dissimilarities in illness representations between parents and adolescents were performed using Olsen et al's proposal. Parents showed a more negative representation of diabetes than adolescents. Adolescents' illness representations, the dissimilarities between adolescents' and parents' illness representations, and family support were associated with adolescents' adherence and QoL. Higher family support moderated the relationship between the dissimilarity in timeline representations and QoL, explaining 17.8% of the variance on QoL. Adolescent's  gender (male) was a moderator in the relationship between adolescent's coherence and QoL, explaining 18.6% of the variance on QoL. Adolescent's gender (female) was a moderator in the relationship between timeline and QoL, explaining 11.9% of the variance on QoL. Being a male parent was a moderator in the relationship between adolescent's concerns and QoL, explaining 13.5% of the variance on QoL. Intervention programs should focus on illness representations, particularly on the dissimilarities between adolescents and parents, as well as on family support in order to promote adolescents' adherence and QoL.