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Co-constructed narratives around being “sick”: A minimalist model

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Abstract

The amount of physical damage may have no fixed relation to how much and in what ways a patient's life is disrupted. The authors discuss a model which addresses the bio-psycho-social complexity of a patient's illness and the narrative constructions which the patient, family members, and health care professionals influence to co-create the patient's identification with being “sick.” This minimalist model invites the reader to consider a variety of interrelated variable lenses through which to view the narratives around a patient's illness. Clinical case examples are used to illustrate the dominant story themes.

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Lee, R.E., Dwyer, T. Co-constructed narratives around being “sick”: A minimalist model. Contemp Fam Ther 17, 65–82 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02249305

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