Repetition, regulation and reappraisal: Information behaviour in persistent coping with chronic illness in families
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47989/ir31ISIC65138Keywords:
information acquisition, information use, family coping, chronic illnessAbstract
Introduction. Little is known about how specific information behaviours and coping strategies intersect within family groups over time, thus we report on a longitudinal investigation of the information and coping behaviours of families managing chronic illness.
Method. Longitudinal, mixed methods study with family group interviews, individual interviews, and surveys of HIV/AIDS or Type 2 diabetes patients and their family members (n=38 families and 97 individuals).
Analysis. Descriptive and correlational quantitative analyses of survey data. Multicycle coding of interview data.
Results. Families primarily used incidental information behaviours as they coped with chronic illness in the long-term, reflecting a persistent coping process. Persistent coping encompassed ongoing cognitive appraisal/reappraisal through daily monitoring and routinised, repetitive information behaviour. Seeking spiritual support, the most common coping strategy, and coping-related information behaviours, such as seeking, using or avoiding information to maintain hope or to provide cognitive reassurance, helped with emotional regulation in response to the stress of illness.
Conclusions. Information behaviour and coping in families managing chronic illness was routinised and focused on monitoring for changes as families continuously appraised whether their current coping strategies were sufficient. Information use was primarily focused on regulation of emotional responses to the illness-related stressor.
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