Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Health Psychology pp 57–73Cite as

The sick role and related concepts

  • Chapter

Abstract

There are innumerable definitions of illness. It might be thought that so fundamental a concept in medical science would have been the subject of broad agreement and succinct definition but this appears to be very far from the truth indeed (Kendell, 1975; Szasz, 1987). Definitions of illness have changed regularly throughout the history of medicine in response to fashion and a variety of other factors. The present situation is in part complicated because many of these historical definitions co-exist with their more recent counterparts. For example, the definition of illness as a syndrome, or coherent cluster of symptoms is credited to the seventeenth-century physician Sydenham. His definition, which does not rely on the notion of pathogens or pathological process, is still current, being used alongside the more modern, but logically quite different, definition of illness as that of bacterial infection. There are, of course, still more recent definitions; all are useful and all more or less appropriate according to circumstances.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Alexander, F. (1950) Psychosomatic Medicine, Norton, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Apfel, R. J. and Sifneos, P. E. (1979) Alexithymia: concept and measurement. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 32, 180–90.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Appleby, L. (1987) Hypochondriasis: an acceptable diagnosis? British Medical Journal, 294, 857.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bagby, R. M., Taylor, G. J. and Ryan, P. R. (1986) The measurement of alexithymia: psychometric properties of the Schalling-Sifneos Personality Scale. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 27(4), 287–94.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Balint, M. (1968) The Doctor, his Patient and the Illness, 2nd edn, Pitman Paperbacks, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Byrne, D. G. and Whyte, H. M. (1978) Dimensions of illness behaviour in survivors of myocardial infarction. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 22, 485–91.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cockerham, W. C. (1978) Medical Sociology, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, K., Auld, F., Demers, L. and Catchlove, R. (1985) Alexithymia: the development of a valid and reliable projective measure (the objectively scored Archetypal test). Journal of Nervous and Mental Diseases, 173(19), 621–7.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dingwall, R., Fenn, P. T., Ham, C. and Harris, D. R. (in press) Compensation for Medical Accidents, Kings Fund Institute, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster, G. H. and Anderson, B. G. (1978) Medical Anthropology, John Wiley and Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gildea, E. F. (1949) Special features of personality which are common to certain psychosomatic disorders. Psychosomatic Medicine, 11, 273–81.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gorton, G. E. (1985) Alexithymia (letter). New England Journal of Medicine, 313(1), 53.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenley, J. R. and Mechanic, D. (1976) Social selection in seeking help for psychological problems. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, 17, 249–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harwood, A. (ed.) (1981) Ethnicity and Medical Care, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaminsky, M. J. and Slavney, P. R. (1983) Hysterical and obsessional features in patients with Briquet’s Syndrome (somatization disorder) Psychological Medicine, 13, 111–20.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kasteler, J., Kane, R., Olsen, D. and Thetford, C. (1976) Issues underlying the prevalence of ‘doctor shopping’ behaviour. Journal of Health and Social Behaviour, 17, 328–39.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keefe, F. J. and Block, A. R. (1982) Development of an observation method for assessing pain behaviour in chronic low back pain patients. Behavior Therapy, 13, 353–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keefe, F. J., Wilkins, R. H., Cook Jr, W. A. et al. (1986) Depression, pain, and pain behaviour, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54(5), 665–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kendell, R. E. (1975) The Role of Diagnosis in Psychiatry, Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kleiger, J. H. and Kinsman, R. A. (1980) The development of an MMPI alexithymia scale. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 34, 17–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Latimer, P. R. (1981) Irritable bowel syndrome: a behavioral model. Behavioural Research and Therapy, 19, 475–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lesser, I. M. (1985) Current concepts in psychiatry: alexithymia. New England Journal of Medicine, 312(11), 690–2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lesser, I. M. and Lesser, B. Z. (1983) Alexithymia: examining the development of a psychological concept. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140(10), 1305–8.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacNab, I. (1977) Backache, Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore.

    Google Scholar 

  • Main, C.J. and Waddell, G. (1987) Psychometric construction and validity of the Pilowsky Illness Behaviour Questionnaire in British patients with chronic low back pain. Pain, 28(1), 13–25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mayou, R. (1984) Sick role, illness behaviour and coping. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 320–2.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mechanic, D. (1962) Students under Stress: a Study in the Social Psychology of Adaptation, Free Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mechanic, D. (1986) The concept of illness behaviour: culture, situation, and personal predisposition. Psychological Medicine, 16, 1–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mendelson, G. (1982) Alexithymia and chronic pain: prevalence and treatment results. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 37, 154r-64.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Moss, R. A. (1986) The role of learning history in current sick role behaviour and assertion. Behavioural Research and Therapy, 24(6), 681–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nemiah, J. C. (1973) Psychology and psychosomatic illness: reflections on theory and research methodology. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 22, 106–11.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nemiah, J. C., Freyberger, H. and Sifneos, P. E. (1976) Alexithymia: a view of psychosomatic illness. In Modern Trends in Psychosomatic Medicine, vol. 3 (ed. Hill), Butterworths, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Shea, B., McGennis, A., Cahill, M. and Falvey, J. (1984) Munchausen’s Syndrome. British Journal of Hospital Medicine, 31(4), 269–74.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons, T. (1951) The Social System, Free Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilowsky, I. (1969) Abnormal illness behaviour. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 42, 347–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pilowsky, I. (1984) Pain and illness behaviour: assessment and management. In Textbook of Pain (eds P. D. Wall and R. Melzack), Churchill Livingstone, London, pp. 767–75.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilowsky, I. and Spence, N. D. (1983) Manual for The Illness Behaviour Questionnaire, The University of Adelaide.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pilowsky, I., Spence, N. D. and Waddy, J. L. (1979) Illness behaviour and coronary artery bypass surgery. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 23, 39–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rad, M. von, Drucke, M., Knauss, W. and Lolas, F. (1979) Alexithymia: anxiety and hostility in psychosomatic and psychoneurotic patients. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 31, 223–34.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schrire, S. (1986) Frequent attenders — a review. Family Practice, 3(4), 272–5.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sifneos, P. E. (1972) Short-term Psychotherapy and Emotional Crisis, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sifneos, P. E. (1973) The prevalence of ‘alexithymic’ characteristics in psychosomatic patients. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 22, 255–62.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sifneos, P. E. (1979) Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy: Evaluation and Technique, Plenum Medical, New York.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Singh, B., Nunn, K., Martin, J. and Yates, J. (1981) Abnormal treatment behaviour. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 54(1), 67–73.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith Jr, G. R. (1983) Alexithymia in medical patients referred to a consultation/liaison service. American Journal of Psychiatry, 140 (1), 99–101.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sternbach, R. A. (1974) Pain Patients — Traits and Treatment, Academic Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Szasz, T. S. (1987) Insanity — The Idea and its Consequences, John Wiley and Sons, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor, G. J. and Doody, K. (1985) Verbal measures of alexithymia: what do they measure? Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 43, 32–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Turkat, I. D. (1982) An investigation of parental modeling in the etiology of diabetic illness behavior. Behavioural Research and Therapy, 20, 547–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Turkat, I. D. and Noskin, D. E. (1983) Vicarious and operant experiences in the etiology of illness behavior: a replication with healthy individuals. Behavioural Research and Therapy, 21(2), 169–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whorwell, P. J., Prior, A. and Faragher, E. B. (1984) Controlled trial of hypnotherapy in the treatment of severe refractory irritable bowel syndrome. Lancet, ii, 1232–3.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wooley, S. C., Blackwell, B. and Wingett, C. (1978) A learning theory model of chronic illness behaviour: theory, treatment and research. Psychosomatic Medicine, 40 (5), 357–401.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zonderman, A. B., Heft, M. W. and Costa Jr, P. T. (1985) Does the Illness Behavior Questionnaire measure abnormal illness behavior? Health Psychology, 4 (5), 425–36.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Authors
  1. Martin Willmott
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Organization Consultant, Sheppard Moscow Ltd, Chislehurst, Kent, UK

    Annabel K. Broome

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1989 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Willmott, M. (1989). The sick role and related concepts. In: Broome, A.K. (eds) Health Psychology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3228-0_4

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4899-3228-0_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-412-33200-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4899-3228-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation