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Illness Representations, Self‐Regulation, and Genetic Counseling: A Theoretical Review
Author(s) -
Shiloh Shoshana
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of genetic counseling
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.867
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1573-3599
pISSN - 1059-7700
DOI - 10.1007/s10897-006-9044-5
Subject(s) - genetic counseling , causality (physics) , perspective (graphical) , coping (psychology) , miller , psychology , human genetics , public health , disease , psychotherapist , clinical psychology , medicine , genetics , nursing , computer science , pathology , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , artificial intelligence , gene , biology
In this article the Self Regulatory Theory (Leventhal, 1970; Leventhan H., Benyamini, Brownlee, Diefenbach, Leventhal E.A., Patrick‐Miller, & Robitaille, 1997) is presented as a framework for conceptualizing genetic counseling. Findings published in the genetic counseling literature are re‐interpreted from the perspective of the theory. Clients are seen as active information processors rather than passive receivers of information. Research related to clients’ representations of genetic causality of disease and specific genetic conditions is reviewed. Associations of genetic illness representations to self representations, coping and health behaviors are examined, and suggestions are made for applications of the theory in research and clinical practice.