Waarom ik? Over risico en toeval bij ziekte

Translated title of the contribution: Why me?: About risk and chance in case of illness

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleProfessional

Abstract

In explaining why a patient has been struck with disease, health care professionals may turn to arguments from epidemiology, pointing to risk factors from lifestyle, diet, or genetics. Yet many patients build detailed narratives on why and when disease and illness overcame them. They can point to specific behaviors, of themselves or others, to stress, or fate. Such stories and health beliefs can help patients preserve mental health in the context of life-threatening diagnoses but stories can also be protective of physical health. There seems to be little room for "chance" in these narratives, which illustrates the apparent disparity between probabilistic descriptions and patients' need for explanations and meaning. Recent pleas for evidentiary pluralism and narrative-based medicine aim at closing this gap.

Translated title of the contributionWhy me?: About risk and chance in case of illness
Original languageDutch
Article numberD6713
JournalNederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde
Volume166
Publication statusPublished - 22 Jun 2022

Keywords

  • Humans
  • Mental Health
  • Narration

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