3

Illness cognitions

CHAPTER OVERVIEW

Chapter 2 described health beliefs and the models that have

been developed to evaluate these beliefs and their

relationship to health behaviours. Individuals, however, also

have beliefs about illness. This chapter examines what it

means to be ‘healthy’ and what it means to be ‘sick’ and

reviews these meanings in the context of how individuals

cognitively represent illness (their illness cognitions/illness

beliefs). The chapter then assesses how illness beliefs can be

measured and places these beliefs within Leventhal’s self-

regulatory model. It then discusses the relationship between

illness cognitions, symptom perception and coping

behaviour. Finally, the chapter examines the relationship

between illness cognitions and health outcomes.

This chapter covers:

➧ What does it mean to be healthy?

➧ What does it mean to be ill?

➧ What are illness cognitions?

➧ Measuring illness cognitions

➧ Leventhal’s self-regulatory model of illness cognitions

➧ Symptom perception

➧ Coping

➧ Illness cognitions and health outcomes

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