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Co-construction of chronic illness narratives by older stroke survivors and their spouses
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 20:49 authored by Eloise Radcliffe, Karen LowtonKaren Lowton, Myfanwy MorganIllness narratives have mainly focused on individual patients' accounts, and particularly those of people experiencing the onset of chronic illness in mid-life. However, a growing number of older people are spending their later life with their partner, with both experiencing complex morbidities. We examine the shared creation of meanings among older stroke survivors and their spouses and the implications for individual and couple identity. Joint biographical narrative interviews were held with 13 stroke survivors aged 75-85 and their spouses. The analysis examined both narrative content and narrative style. Three main types of co-presentation of identity were identified. The 'united couple' described couples who pulled together and emphasised their accommodation of the stroke and normality as a couple, despite often considerable disability, and was strongly underpinned by collaborative interaction in interviews. Caring relationships were distinguished as 'positive', involving self-reliant couples who took pride in how they managed and 'frustrated' in couples who emphasised the difficulties of caring and hardships experienced and were characterised by a conflictual style of narrative. We argue that joint interviews provide new forms of data that extend notions of how illness is lived and demonstrates how the marital relationship can mediate the experience of chronic illness and disability and its impact on identity. © 2013 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2013 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/JohnWiley & Sons Ltd.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Accepted version
Journal
Sociology of Health and IllnessISSN
0141-9889Publisher
Blackwell PublishingExternal DOI
Issue
7Volume
35Page range
993-1007Department affiliated with
- Sociology and Criminology Publications
Full text available
- Yes
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2015-05-19First Open Access (FOA) Date
2015-09-30First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2015-05-19Usage metrics
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