Narrative as a strategy for understanding the experience of chronic illness: a literature review

Abstract This article aims to explore, in available literature, the use of narrative in studies of chronic illness. It is hoped that this study in addition to knowing how to have been the use of narrative in studies, contribute to the care of people with chronic illness. Methodologically, the study consists of a literature review of qualitative nature, focusing on articles with the Virtual Health Library descriptors (VHL). In terms of results, three stand out meanings attributed to the use of narrative by the authors: technique to get testimonies, research method and specific type of testimony; and in terms of the main results attributed by the authors with the use of narrative, are evident two themes: the experience of chronic illness in the subject ill perspective, highlighting the search for meaning, reframing the chronicity and coping strategies; and the possibility of understanding chronic illness, by professionals from the experience of the subject ill. It is verified, in the analyzed studies, that the use of the narrative itself or the narration process can make possible the resignification of the process of illness by the subjects and point out strategies for care management in chronic illness.

摘要 本研究旨在基于现有文献，探讨叙事在慢性病研究中的应用。本研究不仅旨在明晰叙事在相关研究中的使用路径，亦期望为慢性病患者的照护实践提供参考。方法学层面，本研究属于质性文献综述，聚焦于使用虚拟健康图书馆（Virtual Health Library，VHL）检索词的相关学术文章。研究结果显示，作者们围绕叙事应用所提炼的三层核心内涵尤为显著：分别为获取患者证言的技术、研究方法，以及特定类型的证言；而作者们通过叙事应用所揭示的核心研究成果聚焦于两大主题：一是以患病主体视角阐释慢性病体验，突出对生命意义的追寻、对慢性病病程的重构以及应对策略；二是助力医疗专业人员从患者的亲历体验出发理解慢性病本质。经分析的相关研究证实，叙事本身或叙事过程可帮助研究对象实现对自身疾病历程的意义重构，并为慢性病照护管理指明可行策略。