Patient attitude towards disease as a predictor of its course and outcome

Abstract

According to a significant amount of scientific research, it is known that the deterioration of public health and the tendency towards certain types of disease cannot be explained only by conventional factors. It has been proven that a patient’s attitude towards their disease determines their response to the pathology and their adaptation to their new condition. The aim of this work is to analyze research, views, and beliefs of doctors and psychologists on the influence of a patient’s perception of their own illness and their attitude towards it on the course of the disease. This review presents an analysis of numerous scientific works aimed at identifying types of attitudes towards disease that are characteristic of various nosological forms, both mental and somatic. As a result of the literature analysis, a set of conditions and factors that determine the nature and intensity of the influence of attitudes towards disease on its course and outcome were identified. These include the volume and nature of information about a specific disease, which is understood by the patient according to their intellectual and psychological readiness to perceive and interpret it; the way in which a doctor provides information about the course of the disease, possible outcomes, and planned treatment methods; age and gender; the nature and severity of the disease itself, as well as the mental health of patients.