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‘Right’ way to ‘do’ illness? Thinking critically about positive thinking
Author(s) -
McGrath C.,
Jordens C. F. C.,
Montgomery K.,
Kerridge I. H.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
internal medicine journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.596
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1445-5994
pISSN - 1444-0903
DOI - 10.1111/j.1445-5994.2006.01194.x
Subject(s) - feeling , medicine , obligation , critically ill , health professionals , social psychology , health care , psychology , intensive care medicine , political science , law , economics , economic growth
Exhortations to ‘be positive’ accompany many situations in life, either as a general injunction or in difficult situations where people are facing pressure or adversity. It is particularly evident in health care, where positive thinking has become an aspect of the way people are expected to ‘do’ illness in developed society. Positive thinking is framed both as a moral injunction and as a central belief system. It is thought to help patients cope emotionally with illness and to provide a biological benefit. Yet, the meanings, expectations and outcomes of positive thinking are infrequently questioned and the risks of positive thinking are rarely examined. We outline some of the latter and suggest that health professionals should exercise caution in both ‘prescribing’ positive thinking and in responding to patients and carers whose belief systems and feelings of obligation rest on it.