The Concept of Entropy within the Context of Psychosocial Adaptation Following the Onset of Chronic Illness and Disability: History and Nature of Entropy and Its Psychodynamic Implications

Abstract

The second law of thermodynamics, also known as the law of entropy, posits that all physical processes, in a closed system, will evolve over time toward a state of higher disorderliness and randomness. Isolated efforts to explore and examine the application of this law to human psychosocial processes (psychological entropy) have been undertaken only since the middle of the 20th century and have been limited in scope. In this article, the authors explore several domains where psychological entropy (PE) may be helpful in elucidating the nature, structure, and processes inherent in psychosocial adaptation to chronic illness and disability (CID). This article is devoted to providing the reader with a brief outline of the scope of the law of physical entropy through highlighting its historical milestones, and examining its relationships with such concepts as chaos, flow of time, informational systems, the dynamics underlying denial, and finally, its link to a selected group of psychodynamic and cognitive perspectives. In a companion article, we explore potential clinical applications.