Suffering and Posttraumatic Growth in Women With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): A Qualitative/Quantitative Case Study

BackgroundIn spite of the evident importance of suffering, the medical and psychological literature, with some exceptions, contains few contributions toward an understanding of its phenomenology, etiology, and alleviation.ObjectiveTo enhance understanding of suffering in chronic physical disease, the authors applied qualitative content analysis to semistructured interviews with 12 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.MethodThis study was intended to be exploratory, adopting a predominantly qualitative approach, supplemented with quantitative data. Case reports, complemented by psychometric and objective illness-related data, were used to elucidate a model of suffering and to explain its etiology and its interaction with personal growth.ResultsFindings were consistent with the concept of suffering as a psychological process triggered and sustained by an appraised threat to the “Self” or “Personhood”.ConclusionResults indicate that various types of suffering have to be differentiated. Recognizing personal growth in response to the illness-experience may reduce suffering.